A special train livery has been unveiled by Greater Anglia in a move to commemorate black history.

The train operating company, which runs trains from London to Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk, is also holding a series of events for staff throughout October, marking Black History Month.

The intention is to focus on the importance of diversity and to be part of the national events which celebrate the achievements and contributions of black people.

The bespoke livery is on one of the company’s Class 720 commuter trains and was unveiled at London Liverpool Street on Wednesday 18 October.

The Greater Anglia ‘hare’  can also be spotted holding a black history flag.  The livery will be a permanent feature on the train and will help Greater Anglia, one of the first train companies to make such a move, to focus on breaking down barriers and to show its commitment to ethnic and cultural diversity both for colleagues and passengers.

A number of events both celebrating and bringing about a better understanding of the impact of black heritage and culture have been held. At the same time, the company is seeking to prompt discussion amongst its workforce.

All colleagues were invited to a webinar on ‘Racism in The Workplace’, led by Greater Anglia’s talent resourcing and development department.

The webinar focused on recognising different forms of racism, understanding racialised microaggression, seeking genuine representation rather than tokenistic gestures and encouraging people to speak up if racism is seen.

A reading of Angie Thomas’s novel Thug: The Hate U Give is also scheduled. This tells the story of 16-year-old Starr who is the lone witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend.

Greater Anglia’s Ethnicity and Culture group is one of two colleague-led networking groups.  The other is Affinity, around sex and sexuality with both groups seeking to celebrate people’s differences and bring them together in equal measure.

Katy Bucknell, Greater Anglia’s HR director, said:  “We are proud to be one of the first train companies to unveil a special, permanent livery celebrating black history – it is a visible celebration of our positive approach to diversity and inclusion within Greater Anglia and across the region that we serve.

“We have staff from all over the world at Greater Anglia and it is brilliant to see such a range of events taking place across Black History Month. They will show how a small change and a single word can have a big impact and allow us to all work together even more effectively, within not just different departments, but the wider company too.”

Christopher Lewis, vice-chair of the Ethnicity and Culture group and a revenue protection officer at Colchester station, added: “I am proud that Greater Anglia has launched this livery celebrating black history and I hope that it helps passengers and fellow colleagues have confidence in themselves.

“The Ethnicity and Culture group offers support and encouragement to staff – we want to encourage colleagues from all cultures and backgrounds to believe in their own abilities.”

Sophie Thrower, chair of the Ethnicity and Culture group and a member of station staff at Wivenhoe station, said: “We are excited to deliver such a variety of events for our colleagues across the network and see how we can all move forward and continue to educate ourselves further.

“I am proud that Greater Anglia has unveiled this special livery celebrating black history – this visual illustration reflects our diverse workforce, and it is superb that it will be seen across our region at speeds of up to 100mph!”