VR renews its brand – trains get a new look
The new, fresher appearance of the trains reflects the renewal of VR’s brand. Both passengers’ and VR employees’ views were considered in creating the new visual appearance. The aim of the new look is to promote brand awareness and increase the popularity of rail travel.
VR’s trains will get a new look that matches the renewal of the brand. The visual appearance renewal supports the images associated with VR: forerunner, cheerful, and cozy. The goal of VR’s brand is to be like a friend to passengers – an approachable, relaxed, and guiding travel companion on whose trains every passenger feels welcome as they are.
In the future, VR's green colour will be seen more and more on the trains, combined with stripes. The new look is more dynamic than before.
“We wanted a look that is linked to VR's recognisable brand elements, such as the green colour, but it is also bold and vibrant," says VR’s CEO Elisa Markula.
The trains’ appearance is VR’s most visible brand element, and it must form a coherent combination with digital service channels and the physical train environment.
“Recognisability and distinctiveness are now even more important in the appearance of trains, because our operations are becoming more international and we are preparing for a situation in Finland where several different train companies operate in passenger traffic," Markula continues.
Large and moving object sets special requirements for the design
Trains must look good from different distances: far away in the landscape and up close on the platform when a passenger enters the train. When designing the look, it was also important to take into account the different shapes of the train, utilise them, and streamline the large vehicle.
“Only one shade of green is used, but the change in the width of the horizontal stripes makes the look, especially from a distance, appear as if there are more shades of green. At the same time, it creates a strong sense of movement in the exterior of the trains”, says Sauli Suomela, the Design Lead of Pentagon Design.
The new visual appearance that Pentagon Design has created also takes into account accessibility and the needs for guiding passengers. Both passengers and VR personnel’s expectations and wishes were listened to when planning the new look. During spring 2024, customer and personnel workshops were organised, where participants were able to evaluate several alternative train design concepts and influence the development of the final look.
The search for a new look began in autumn 2023, when VR organised an idea competition with Ornamo, a design expert organisation, to find a new look for trains. The winning entry and the public's favourite were implemented in early summer 2024 in two InterCity railway cars. The competition paved the way for designing the final visual appearance.
The new exterior will be introduced in stages
The current look of long-distance and commuter trains has been in use since 2010. The new look is also designed to stand the test of time and serve for several decades. First, the new look will be introduced in VR’s new rolling stock: long-distance trains in Sweden during autumn 2024, new night train coaches that will enter service in 2025, SM6 trains previously known as Allegro that will return to service at the end of 2025, and new commuter trains that will start in passenger traffic in 2026.
The appearance of the current rolling stock will be changed gradually, simultaneously with the renewal of the interior appearance of the trains. The introduction of the new look in the current rolling stock will take several years, because as many renovations as possible will be made to one train coach at a time, and VR wants the visual appearance renewal not to affect the extent of train traffic.
The image is a mockup image of the new look of VR trains.
