Alphaline
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Alphaline was a sub-brand of British Railways, used for Regional Railways express services mostly operated by Class 158 diesel multiple units.
The Alphaline Standard was
- Air Conditioning
- On Board Payphone
- Reservable Seats
- A refreshment trolley
Alphaline trains were shown in the timetable with an αA logo.
The brand continued in use for a while after privatisation but has since fallen out of favour with only Wessex Trains retaining it. As Wessex Trains merged into the Greater Western franchise operated by First Great Western, it has been widely expected that the Alphaline branding would disappear, however the logo is still present in newly issued timetables from First Great Western as of April 2006. The next timetable will likely see the end of Alphaline.
Originally the Alphaline livery consisted of a vinyl applied to the Express Sprinter colour scheme. Both of the former Wales and West companies (Wessex Trains and Wales and Borders) repainted their units in a silver livery with large A logos and the company name preceded by 'Alphaline' - This led to the belief that Alphaline was the parent of both companies. When Arriva took over the Wales and Borders franchise the Alphaline brand was dropped and quickly removed from their trains.