A New Branding for GBR is Uncovered.
The government has presented the logo and livery for GBR, constituting a major advance in its agenda to bring the railways under nationalisation.
A Patriotic Design and Familiar Emblem
The updated livery showcases a Union Flag-inspired colour scheme to represent the UK flag and will be used on rolling stock, at stations, and across its website and app.
Interestingly, the logo is the distinctive twin-arrow design historically used by the national rail network and originally created in the 1960s for British Rail.
A Implementation Strategy
The rollout of the branding, which was designed internally, is expected to happen in phases.
Commuters are scheduled to start spotting the newly-branded trains on the national network from the coming spring.
In the month of December, the design will be displayed at prominent stations, such as Manchester Piccadilly.
The Journey to Public Ownership
The Railways Bill, which will allow the creation of Great British Railways, is presently moving through the House of Commons.
The administration has said it is taking control of the railways so the system is "run by the people, working for the public, not for corporate interests."
The new body will consolidate the running of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.
The department has stated it will unify 17 various 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 include a new mobile application, which will let customers to see train times and book tickets free from additional fees.
Disabled users will also be have the option to use the app to arrange support.
A number of franchises had earlier been nationalised under the outgoing administration, such as TPE.
There are now 7 operating companies already in state ownership, representing about a one-third of journeys.
In the past year, Greater Anglia have been brought into public ownership, with further franchises expected to follow in the coming years.
Ministerial and Industry Response
"This is not simply a new logo," commented the Transport Secretary. It symbolises "a fresh start, leaving behind the issues of the past and dedicated solely on providing a reliable public service."
Rail figures have welcomed the focus to improving services.
"The industry will continue to work closely with industry partners to facilitate a successful changeover to GBR," a representative noted.
