The New Logo for Great British Railways is Unveiled.
The Transport Department has revealed the logo and livery for the new national rail body, representing a notable move in its strategy to take the railways under nationalisation.
A National Design and Iconic Logo
The fresh design uses a patriotic colour scheme to echo the Union Flag and will be applied on rolling stock, at stations, and across its online presence.
Notably, the symbol is the well-known twin-arrow design historically used by National Rail and previously designed in the 1960s for British Rail.
A Implementation Strategy
The phased introduction of the branding, which was created in-house, is scheduled to occur gradually.
Travellers are scheduled to begin seeing the freshly-liveried services across the network from spring next year.
Throughout December, the visuals will be displayed at prominent railway stations, such as London Bridge.
The Journey to Public Ownership
The Railways Bill, which will pave the way the formation of Great British Railways, is currently moving through the House of Commons.
The government has said it is renationalising the railways so the service is "owned by the passengers, delivering for the public, not for private shareholders."
Great British Railways will consolidate the running of train services and infrastructure under a single organisation.
The department has claimed it will combine 17 different organisations and "cut through the problematic bureaucracy and poor accountability that hinders the railways."
Digital Features and Current Ownership
The rollout of Great British Railways will also include a new app, which will let passengers to view schedules and book journeys without surcharges.
Disabled users will also be able to use the application to request support.
A number of train companies had already been nationalised under the outgoing administration, including LNER.
There are now 7 operating companies already in state ownership, representing about a one-third of journeys.
In the last twelve months, South Western Railway have been nationalised, with additional operators expected to be added in the coming years.
Official and Sector Response
"The new design is not simply a paint job," said the relevant minister. It symbolises "a fresh start, leaving behind the problems of the past and dedicated entirely on delivering a reliable passenger-focused service."
Rail representatives have welcomed the focus to bettering services.
"We will continue to collaborate with industry partners to ensure a smooth handover to the new system," a senior figure said.
