A Updated Logo for the UK's National Rail Body is Announced.
The administration has presented the branding for Great British Railways, constituting a key step in its strategy to bring the railways under nationalisation.
A National Colour Scheme and Familiar Emblem
The updated design showcases a patriotic design to reflect the national flag and will be applied on GBR trains, at railway stations, and across its digital platforms.
Significantly, the logo is the iconic double-arrow logo historically used by National Rail and first designed in the mid-20th century for British Rail.
The Rollout Plan
The introduction of the branding, which was created by the department, is expected to occur gradually.
Travellers are scheduled to start seeing the freshly-liveried services across the UK rail network from the coming spring.
In the month of December, the visuals will be exhibited at prominent stations, including Glasgow Central.
The Journey to Nationalisation
The Railways Bill, which will pave the way the formation of Great British Railways, is currently progressing through the House of Commons.
The government has said it is taking control of the railways so the network is "owned by the passengers, operating for the people, not for profit."
GBR will unify the running of train services and tracks and signals under a single organisation.
The government has claimed it will combine seventeen different entities and "reduce the frustrating administrative hurdles and poor accountability that has long affected the railways."
Digital Services and Current Public Control
The launch of Great British Railways will also involve a comprehensive mobile application, which will allow passengers to see timetables and book journeys absent booking fees.
Disabled passengers will also be able to use the application to arrange assistance.
A number of operators had previously been nationalised under the previous administration, such as Northern.
There are now 7 train operators already in state ownership, representing about a third of rail travel.
In the past year, South Western Railway have been brought into public ownership, with additional operators anticipated to follow in the coming years.
Official and Industry Reaction
"This is not simply a paint job," said the relevant minister. It symbolises "a new railway, shedding the problems of the previous system and dedicated solely on delivering a genuine passenger-focused service."
Industry leaders have responded positively to the focus to bettering the passenger experience.
"We will carry on to collaborate with all stakeholders to support a seamless handover to the new system," a senior figure said.