National Express are running the franchise, of course they want to spend money making their brand be noticed. They want to be associated with the brand c2c. Making the brand better known is beneficial for their other businesses, especially coach services. For example, many of my friends I speak to who regularly travel on c2c have no idea that National Express run it, the same company running the franchise for the dire East Anglia line!

Remember that C2C has some of the cheapest fares in the South East, some of the best rolling stock and the best service out of all TOCs in the UK.

I actually like the new livery and think it's an important part of passenger's satisfaction. The purple livery is starting to look tired and I for one am all for spending money on our trains, improving stations etc rather than the money going into the manager's bonus pot. Some people may disagree, but I am very happy with C2C. 

Major overhaul programme? I don't think so. They are being re-painted as part of the works by Bombardier to correct the corrosion problems which were caused by the initial build process. Who said c2c was paying for it?

I thought it fair to post this. 

For the record I have received a response from National Express.  I think they have a reasonable explanation to my concerns and a copy of the text is below.....





Dear XXX,

c2c Livery

Thank you for your e-mail of 12th August 2009.

I fully agree that it would not be sensible to be spending extra money on reliverying our trains and we have not.

I am pleased to be able to tell you that the new white and blue livery is being done at no extra cost to us as part of programmed maintenance on the fleet by the manufacturer, Bombardier Manufacturing. The trains are being programmed for planned maintenance work over the next eighteen months. The work involves attention to the bodysides, including repairs to, or changing of some body panels. After this the bodies have to be repainted. The repainting forms part of the maintenance and would have to be done whatever the livery; c2c is not paying for this. The only new cost is the small vinyl letters for three words on each side; this is only a few pounds and the letters are easily applied and removed, which we do with our own staff at our own depot at East Ham.

In exchange we are getting back a newly-painted vehicle with bodywork fit for a further eight – ten years, and no need for any further work in that time.

I can assure you we have been careful to make sure that no customer’s money is being wasted and c2c customers are getting a newly-painted train at no extra cost.

Yours sincerely

XXX
Customer Service Manager