Virgin Trains has completed painting the script of

iconic festive film ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ on station platforms from London to Glasgow.

Over a three-week period, workers spent over 60 hours painting the 15,000 plus word script

overnight at train stations across the UK, including a URL within the artwork that directs the

viewer to information, advice, and support around mental health.

The ‘It’s A Wonderful Line’ initiative was developed with Virgin Trains’ charity partner,

Rethink Mental Illness, in recognition of how difficult the festive period can be for some, and

the positive impact that simple acts of kindness can have. In the early hours of Thursday

morning, the paint dried on the final lines of the film – from seminal Scottish poem Auld Lang

Syne.

Frank Capra’s 1946 film, a regular fixture in living rooms across the Christmas period, is an

uplifting story of family, love, hope, and redemption. But it is also the story of one man’s

struggle with life’s knockbacks and disappointments. The film is over 70 years old, but the

message is as relevant now as it has ever been.

Starting in London Euston last month, the script has weaved its way up the UK – spreading

the film’s message of goodwill in locations including Birmingham, Liverpool, Preston, Carlisle

and Glasgow.

Totalling over 7.5km of text, the installation is the first of its kind and was a huge logistical

feat for Virgin Trains, Rethink and the campaign partners:

– 750 litres of yellow paint used

– 7.5km of bespoke stencils cut

– 60 hours of overnight painting

– Over 66,000 letters painted

– “It’s A Wonderful Life” could have been watched 24 times over the painting period

– Stations painted: London Euston, Rugby, Birmingham International, Stafford, Stoke-

on-Trent, Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston (Lancashire), Carlisle, Glasgow

Central