Britain's railways have undergone a major makeover with the launch of Great British Railways (GBR), a new, renationalised railway company. The logo, branding and livery unveiled at London Bridge on Tuesday are expected to give passengers their "first look at the future" of Britain's railways.
The new GBR design features red, white and blue colours, paying homage to Britain's rich railway heritage without directly copying British Rail's iconic brand. According to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the new logo represents a "new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers."
The branding also reflects the company's commitment to modernising the industry, with plans to simplify travel for disabled passengers through a single app that allows them to book Passenger Assist services. The GBR app is set to be rolled out as a one-stop shop for passengers to check their journeys and buy tickets without any booking fees.
While some have questioned whether the new branding is worth the investment, Transport Focus chief executive Alex Robertson noted that the success of GBR will depend on its people and culture, and today's unveiling gives a glimpse into what that could look and feel like.
Seven of England's former private train operators are already back in public hands, covering a third of all passenger journeys. By 2027, the rest are set to be renationalised, bringing track and train operations together under one entity at arm's length from the government.
The new GBR is headquartered in Derby, and next spring, the first actual trains could start being repainted with the new branding. A revamped east coast mainline timetable is also expected to come into effect next week, adding hundreds of more LNER trains to the network.
The new GBR design features red, white and blue colours, paying homage to Britain's rich railway heritage without directly copying British Rail's iconic brand. According to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the new logo represents a "new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers."
The branding also reflects the company's commitment to modernising the industry, with plans to simplify travel for disabled passengers through a single app that allows them to book Passenger Assist services. The GBR app is set to be rolled out as a one-stop shop for passengers to check their journeys and buy tickets without any booking fees.
While some have questioned whether the new branding is worth the investment, Transport Focus chief executive Alex Robertson noted that the success of GBR will depend on its people and culture, and today's unveiling gives a glimpse into what that could look and feel like.
Seven of England's former private train operators are already back in public hands, covering a third of all passenger journeys. By 2027, the rest are set to be renationalised, bringing track and train operations together under one entity at arm's length from the government.
The new GBR is headquartered in Derby, and next spring, the first actual trains could start being repainted with the new branding. A revamped east coast mainline timetable is also expected to come into effect next week, adding hundreds of more LNER trains to the network.
I feel like the new GBR logo might be a bit too... patriotic for its own good? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the idea of modernizing the railways and making it easier for everyone to travel, but sometimes less is more, you know? Too many colors can be overwhelming. 
Still, it's nice that they're paying homage to Britain's railway heritage - I'm sure there are some really cool vintage trains out there just waiting to be restored! 
! I'm a bit skeptical about the cost of the new branding, but if it means they're gonna make travel easier for everyone, especially disabled passengers with a single app, then I'm all for it 
. The fact that they're bringing back some of the private train operators under public hands is also super interesting 
. I hope they actually deliver on their promises and create a better service for us commuters 
. Anyone else excited to see how this whole thing unfolds?
. The new logo looks decent, but I'm not sure about the branding yet - feels like they're trying to be too trendy 
.
. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out - fingers crossed they don't lose their way in the process 
. One thing's for sure, it's gonna be an exciting ride... pun intended 
!
and gotta say its pretty cool how they're bringing back british rail with a modern twist 
. love the new logo and colours, feels like they've taken inspiration from our history but still made it fresh for today's commuters 
! So they're trying to give Britain's railways a major upgrade and I'm all for it 
. And can we talk about how awesome it is that they're simplifying travel for disabled passengers with one app? That's like, totally inclusive right there 
! 
. Like, have you seen those old British Rail logos? They were so boring and outdated 
. This new GBR design is a game-changer! And it's not just about looks, they're actually making changes to improve the passenger experience 
. So yeah, bring on the new GBR trains and revamped timetable – I'm ready for a smoother travel experience 
!
just another government makeover to try and improve things 
. Don't get me wrong, simplifying travel for disabled passengers is a great move 
, but it feels like they're just trying to fit in with the times instead of really innovating 
. And what's up with the app being rolled out as a one-stop shop? Is that supposed to save money or just make things more convenient for us passengers 
?