The Fresh Identity for Great British Railways is Announced.
The administration has presented the visual identity for GBR, signifying a notable step in its plans to bring the railways back into state hands.
An Patriotic Design and Familiar Symbol
The new branding showcases a red, white and blue design to echo the UK flag and will be applied on GBR trains, at stations, and across its online presence.
Notably, the logo is the well-known double-arrow symbol presently used by National Rail and first introduced in the mid-20th century for the former state operator.
The Introduction Timeline
The introduction of the branding, which was developed internally, is expected to take place in phases.
Travellers are scheduled to start seeing the freshly-liveried trains on the national network from the coming spring.
During December, the design will be exhibited at key railway stations, including Birmingham New Street.
The Path to Nationalisation
The legislation, which will pave the way the establishment of Great British Railways, is currently making its way through the House of Commons.
The government has stated it is renationalising the railways so the network is "run by the public, working for the passengers, not for private shareholders."
Great British Railways will consolidate the operation of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.
The government has stated it will merge seventeen different organisations and "cut through the notorious red tape and poor accountability that has long affected the railways."
App-Based Features and Current Ownership
The launch of GBR will also involve a dedicated mobile application, which will enable customers to see schedules and reserve tickets without additional fees.
Accessibility users will also be have the option to use the application to request assistance.
A number of train companies had already been nationalised under the outgoing government, including LNER.
There are currently 7 train operators already in state ownership, representing about a one-third of journeys.
In the last twelve months, c2c have been brought into public ownership, with further franchises anticipated to be added in the coming years.
Official and Sector Reaction
"This isn't just a paint job," stated the relevant minister. It represents "a transformed service, leaving behind the issues of the previous system and dedicated completely on offering a genuine passenger-focused service."
Rail representatives have welcomed the pledge to bettering services.
"The industry will continue to collaborate with relevant bodies to ensure a successful handover to GBR," a senior figure added.