Birmingham Moor Street -> Stourbridge Junction//
18th December 2009//
19.32pm//
Observations:
First three stations called at had different typefaces on the main station signage. These irregularities are caused by the privatisation and influx of privatised railways. The varied identity for the three stations minutes apart comes across scrappy and unfamiliar.
However this maybe be due to the complex rail network within Birmingham city centre and the different subsidies on each route. Birmingham Moor Street's signage seemed to be possibly the original signage with a design and typeface that has managed to keep its hold against the now common sans serifs used nationwide (and seemingly worldwide).
The next point of call had a light/ultralight sans serif but this could be and identity created uniquely for the station, one of the main stations in the city centre. The 'Jewellery Quarter' had a rounded sans serif and all of the subsequent stations used the same face, more than likely the typeface of the main train company operating the line.
Would one identity and typeface be best suited for the intire railway network? This seems unlikely as all the private companies attempt to use there individual type choices and sometimes intrusive colour schemes to fight for attention and recognition.
