The Fresh Branding for GBR is Unveiled.
The government has introduced the logo and livery for the new national rail body, marking a key step in its agenda to bring the railways under public control.
A Patriotic Design and Iconic Logo
The fresh design features a Union Flag-inspired colour scheme to echo the national flag and will be applied on rolling stock, at terminals, and across its website and app.
Significantly, the emblem is the iconic twin-arrow design historically used by National Rail and first created in the 1960s for British Rail.
A Implementation Plan
The rollout of the new look, which was designed by the department, is expected to happen over time.
Commuters are set to start seeing the freshly-liveried trains on the UK rail network from the coming spring.
During December, the design will be showcased at major stations, like London Bridge.
The Path to Nationalisation
The legislation, which will enable the formation of Great British Railways, is currently making its way through the Parliament.
The administration has argued it is taking control of the railways so the network is "run by the passengers, delivering for the people, not for profit."
GBR will consolidate the operation of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.
The government has claimed it will merge 17 separate bodies and "reduce the problematic administrative hurdles and lack of accountability that has long affected the railways."
App-Based Services and Current Ownership
The launch of GBR will also involve a new mobile application, which will let passengers to view train times and purchase tickets without surcharges.
Passengers with disabilities travellers will also be able to use the app to arrange help.
Multiple train companies had previously been nationalised under the outgoing government, such as Northern.
There are currently 7 operating companies already in public control, accounting for about a third of passenger trips.
In the past year, South Western Railway have been nationalised, with further franchises anticipated to follow in the coming years.
Ministerial and Sector Comments
"This is not simply a paint job," commented the Transport Secretary. It symbolises "a transformed service, leaving behind the problems of the previous system and dedicated solely on providing a proper passenger-focused service."
Rail representatives have welcomed the focus to bettering the passenger experience.
"The industry will carry on to collaborate with industry partners to support a seamless changeover to GBR," a representative noted.
