Taking pride in our community: c2c celebrates 50 years of Pride with first Trainbow

13 JULY 2022: c2c has unveiled its brand new ‘Trainbow’ to demonstrate its continued commitment to diversity and inclusion, celebrating 50 years since the first UK Pride event, and ahead of a series of Pride events across London and South Essex. 

The four carriage train, unit 357 318, has been emblazoned with a Pride flag flowing from the drivers cab and running down the sides, bolstered with the words, ‘Taking pride in supporting our community.’ As Paul McGunnigle-White, c2c Treasury Manager and a member of the operator’s D&I Forum, explains, there’s a special meaning behind the design.

“For our first ever Trainbow, the challenge was creating something visual that encompassed everything we wanted to say: our support for our local communities, celebrating the progress that’s been made in the last 50 years, our focus on D&I and highlighting our support for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Paul, who led the design work for the train, added, “I wanted something that would look like it was actually moving as the train is travelling across the network, symbolic of a real journey to a hopeful destination. I began with our current Pride logo, turned it on the side and continued the colours to not only show it was moving, but changing course, adapting and continuing; this design mirrors the Pride movement and our focus on carrying on the fight for equality. It shows the colourful path ahead to a world of inclusion, for everyone, today and every day, not just for Pride.”

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first ever Pride in the UK, with the Trainbow joining the c2c fleet ahead of Southend Pride this Saturday, heading into passenger service on Wednesday 13 July. The launch follows an array of internal celebrations for Pride month in June; the D&I Forum has been sharing colleague stories, hosted a Virtual Pride event and quiz, and continues into July recognising and talking about Disability Pride Month, Eid and International Non-Binary People’s Day.  

Looking ahead, the c2c Trainbow will be proudly supporting other upcoming Pride events, including UK Black Pride at Queen Elizabeth Park on 14th August and Basildon Pride on 3rd September on the route, as well as connecting people to Romford Pride (30th July) and Colchester Pride (13th August).

The operator’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has seen numerous initiatives in recent years: the introduction of accessibility training for frontline staff; the launch of an apprenticeship programme; D&I training for all; increased focus on allyship and staff networks, including the recent establishment of a Women’s Network; as well as becoming a Disability Confident Employer

Rob Mullen, Managing Director at c2c, says: “The Trainbow is a clear demonstration to all that c2c is a business that supports and celebrates diversity in its workforce and communities. I’m so proud to see the Trainbow join the fleet; the D&I Forum has created something that encompasses c2c’s vision for and focus on, inclusivity, for all to see. ‘Taking pride in our Community’ is also more than words, it’s woven into everything that we do, in how as an organisation we show up for our colleagues and how we continue to play our part in embracing the communities we serve.”

Debbie Wallis, Interim D&I Lead at the rail firm, said, “I’m so pleased to see our Trainbow out on the network; the D&I Forum have wanted to introduce a Trainbow since the group came together back in October 2020 so this is a great occasion. c2c has made so much progress with D&I, especially in recent years, so a Trainbow is a demonstrable continuation of that commitment to being inclusive for both colleagues and customers.” 

The Trainbow was wrapped at c2c’s East Ham depot by a team from Stewart Signs. Check out the time-lapse video of its application here:

Planning to join the festivities at Southend Pride this weekend? The last train from Southend towards London on the mainline is at 23:38, arriving at Fenchurch Street 00:35, while the last train from Southend towards London via Ockendon is at 23:42 arriving at Barking 00:42.

The easiest way to travel on c2c – and have the chance of spotting the Trainbow in the wild – is with one of our smartcards. Durable, quick to load and secure, they’re available for adults and children. Either order online or pick one up from your local station and register online. 

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About c2c

c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex. Owned by Trenitalia, c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 48 million journeys are made on our services every year.

Italian-based Trenitalia is one of Europe’s leading rail operators and the passenger rail arm of FS Italiane Group.

For more information email mediaenquiries@c2crail.net