Alphaline

Alphaline was a brand introduced by Regional Railways in December 1994 to differentiate certain provincial express trains with enhanced passenger accommodation from general regional and middle-distance services operated by older rolling stock.

The Alphaline brand was introduced in December 1994 on express services operated by Regional Railways in the Midlands, Wales and the South West. These services linked various provincial towns and cities, complementing and connecting with the more prestigious InterCity network.

Branding was applied specifically to services scheduled for operation by recently built Class 158s. The association of a passenger-facing brand with a specific model of train was unusual, but reflected the significantly improved passenger facilities such trains provided when compared with the mainstay of the Regional Railways fleet.

Timetables advertised Alphaline services as providing:

Within the Regional Railways fleet of the early to mid-1990s, the latter two facilities were a rarity and available solely on Class 158 Express Sprinters.

Advertising for the brand used the tagline Nice and straightforward indicating to customers the heightened levels of comfort and ease of booking the direct services available.

Regional Railways successors Central Trains and South Wales & West Railway inherited Alphaline routes and both initially retained the brand. It ceased to be used in 2006. A remnant of the brand appeared in the form of the symbol being included in the Network Rail timetable in February 2009 and even in the winter 2014 National Rail timetable, the guide to reserving seats included the Alphaline symbol in the list of symbols denoting a train with reservable seats.

In the early days of the franchise, Central Trains continued to mark express services as Alphaline within its timetables. By 2001 however, the brand had disappeared from timetables and the company went on to develop its own Citylink brand.