‘Striking’ new artwork for UK trains revealed – as MPs debate rail nationalisation
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A “striking” new design for UK trains is revealed for the first time by the transport secretary.
Train services already in public ownership will begin to adopt a Union flag-inspired design from this spring, Heidi Alexander has confirmed.
It’s all part of the government’s efforts to nationalise most passenger rail services in the UK and run them under the new Great British Railways (GBR) brand.
The logo for GBR will also be unveiled on Tuesday, while the publicly owned company is expected to be formally established in 2027.
The organisation’s branding features the familiar double arrow symbol first used by British Rail when the country’s trains were last state-owned, and which has continued to be displayed after privatisation.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport (DfT) said the “iconic” symbol has been incorporated into the new GBR logo to reflect “Britain’s proud railway heritage”.
Meanwhile, Ms Alexander has insisted Tuesday’s announcement “isn’t just a paint job”.
The cabinet minister said: “It represents a new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers.”
Revealing the designs both for the trains and the GBR logo, she added: “The future of Britain’s railways begins today.
“I’m 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.”
Special one-day public exhibition launched
People in the capital will be able to see the new train livery for themselves on Tuesday, with a special one-day exhibit being held at London Bridge station, where a GBR-branded Hornby model train will be on display.
The government has also partnered with a gaming company to create mock-ups of the new design, and those at the station will be able to see a digital demonstration of the new artwork in a Train Sim World 6 game.
People in the capital will be able to see a mock-up of a train in the new livery in a Train Sim World 6 game.
Pic: Dovetail Games.
Those outside the UK will be able to see the new designs for both the trains and logo on digital display boards over the coming days at four stations. These are:
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Birmingham New Street
- Glasgow Central
- Leeds City
Both designs have been created in-house by the DfT to save taxpayers’ money, while one person at the department described the new train livery as “striking and memorable”.
The new designs are being revealed as MPs prepare to debate the government’s Railways Bill in the Commons on Tuesday.
So far, the government has taken control of seven major operators, which it says means that a third of all rail journeys in the UK are now on a state-owned train service.
But the Labour government has pledged to return all passenger services to public ownership, as contracts with existing operators expire or are broken through a failure to deliver. This is so nationalisation can be brought about “without costing taxpayers a penny in compensation”, the DfT has said.
What will nationalisation actually involve?
The government has said its Railways Bill will bring 17 different organisations together and will also lead to greater accountability, better services and an easier way to buy tickets.
But while ministers have pointed to fares being frozen in England for the first time in 30 years, they have not explicitly said that the cost of taking the train will come down.
A new ‘one-stop shop’ app will be launched as part of the scheme.
Pic: Department for Transport
Among the measures in the bill is the creation of a new “one-stop shop” GBR app, where passengers will be able to check train times and buy tickets without booking fees, while those with disabilities will be able to also request a Passenger Assist.
Read more:
What is Labour’s rail nationalisation plan?
Rail fares frozen for first time in 30 years
The draft law would also beef up accountability by creating a strengthened Passenger Watchdog, while GBR would operate both services and maintain the railways themselves.
Ministers have pointed to improvements to existing services since they have been re-nationalised, such as South Western Railway boosting capacity by almost 10% by quadrupling its number of Arterio trains in service.
A new East Coast Main Line timetable will also come into effect this month, which the government says will lead to 10,000 extra LNER services every year, or roughly 60,000 extra seats a week.
