c2c has revealed its new ‘Trainbow’ which sees a Pride flag beautifully flow over the four carriage train unit 357 318 alongside the words ‘Taking pride in supporting our community’.

The rail operators ‘Trainbow’ demonstrates its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and comes ahead of Pride events across London and South Essex

Paul McGunnigle-White, c2c Treasury Manager and member of the operator’s D&I Forum, explains the 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.”

Leading the design work for the train, Paul went on to say: “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 50 years since the very first UK Pride event with c2c’s trainbow entering service on Wednesday the 13th July 2022 ahead of Southend Pride on Saturday the 16th of July. The launch comes after several internal celebrations of Pride month during June which saw the Diversity & Inclusion Forum share colleague stories, host a Virtual Pride event with a quiz and now moving into July recognise and raise awareness of Disability Pride Month, Eid and International Non-Binary People’s Day.

c2c’s Trainbow will also proudly support other Pride events over the summer months including UK Black Pride at Queen Elizabeth Park on the 14th of August and Basildon Pride on the 3rd of September which is on the route. The Trainbow will also connect people to Romford Pride on the 30th of July and Colchester Pride on the 13th of August.

The rail operator is committed to diversity and inclusion and has undertaken many initiatives in recent years such as 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 alongside 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 focuses 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.”

c2c’s East Ham depot saw a team from Steward Signs carry out the wrapping for the Trainbow, below is a time-lapse video of the process:

For those heading to Southend Pride this weekend, the last train from Southend heading to London via the mainline is 23.38 and arrives at Fenchurch street at 00.35. The last train from Southend heading towards London via Ockendon is 23.42 and arrives at Barking at 00.42.