UK: The Department for Transport has unveiled the branding, train livery and logo of the future Great British Railways, which is to be established as a guiding mind for Great Britain’s railways with responsibility for infrastructure and the operation of UK-government controlled passenger services.
The Great British Railways logo and livery is to be gradually rolled out across ‘a number of’ publicly-owned train operators, as well as websites, stations and elsewhere, from spring 2026.
DfT said the branding was designed in-house to maximise value for money. It explained that the red, white and blue colour scheme and sharp angles create ‘a striking and memorable design mirroring the Union Flag’. The GBR logo features the ‘iconic’ double arrow symbol which was first used by British Rail and has endured since privatisation as a unified branding for National Rail services.
The design will feature on the GBR ticketing app which will be a ‘one-stop shop’ to check train times and buy tickets ‘at the best prices across the rail network without any booking fees’. Disabled passengers will also be able to use the app to book Passenger Assist services.
Not ‘just a paint job’
The branding was unveiled on the evening of December 8, the day before the second reading and House of Commons debate over the government’s rail reform legislation, which will enable the creation of Great British Railways to bring together 17 different organisations.
The brand will be on display at London Bridge station on December 9, where there will be a one-day exhibit including a GBR-branded Hornby model train, plus a demo of a GBR-branded train in the Train Sim World 6 game. Passengers at London Bridge and Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central, Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly will also be able to see the design on digital displays and posters.
‘The future of Britain’s railways begins today’, said Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander. ‘I am immensely proud to unveil the new look for Great British Railways as we deliver landmark legislation to nationalise our trains and reform the railway so it better serves passengers. This isn’t just a paint job — it represents a new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers.’
