🔗 Share this article

The government has unveiled the visual identity for GBR, signifying a major stride in its plans to bring the railways into public ownership.

A National Palette and Historic Emblem

The fresh branding features a Union Flag-inspired palette to echo the Union Flag and will be rolled out on GBR trains, at terminals, and across its website and app.

Interestingly, the emblem is the recognisable twin-arrow design currently used by National Rail and first introduced in the mid-20th century for British Rail.

A Implementation Plan

The introduction of the new look, which was created internally, is expected to happen gradually.

Travellers are set to begin noticing the freshly-liveried services on the national network from the coming spring.

In December, the design will be showcased at prominent railway stations, like Manchester Piccadilly.

The Path to Public Ownership

The Railways Bill, which will enable the formation of Great British Railways, is currently progressing through the legislative process.

The government has stated it is bringing back into public ownership the railways so the network is "owned by the public, delivering for the passengers, not for private shareholders."

Great British Railways will bring the running of train services and infrastructure under a single organisation.

The government has stated it will merge 17 different bodies and "reduce the notorious red tape and poor accountability that hinders the railways."

App-Based Services and Existing Public Control

The introduction of Great British Railways will also include a comprehensive mobile application, which will let users to view train times and book journeys absent additional fees.

Disabled passengers will also be able to use the application to arrange assistance.

A number of franchises had already been nationalised under the outgoing government, including Northern.

There are currently seven train operators now in public control, covering about a one-third of journeys.

In the past year, c2c have been brought into public ownership, with additional operators expected to follow in the coming years.

Ministerial and Sector Response

"This is not simply a paint job," commented the Transport Secretary. It signifies "a new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and concentrated solely on providing a reliable service for the public."

Industry representatives have welcomed the pledge to improving services.

"The industry will carry on to collaborate with industry partners to support a successful changeover to GBR," a senior figure said.