THE livery and logo for Great British Railways (GBR) was unveiled on December 9, as the Railways Bill that will create the new publicly-owned body reuniting infrastructure management with passenger operations received its second reading in the House of Commons.
The GBR livery features a red, white and blue colour scheme and sharp angles to create what the Department for Transport (DfT) describes as a striking and memorable design that mirrors the British flag.
GBR has as its logo the double arrow first introduced by British Rail (BR) in 1965 and subsequently retained for station signs and National Rail branding following the privatisation of BR.
DfT says that the new GBR branding has been developed in-house “to maximise value for money.”
The new livery and logo were unveiled at London Bridge station in the capital on December 9. GBR branding is due to appear on digital displays and posters at Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central, Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly later this week.
Under a gradual rollout, GBR branding will start to appear from next spring across a number of operators already in public ownership under DfT Operator (DfTO). The design will also feature on the GBR ticketing app, which DfT says will enable passengers to check train times and buy tickets across the network without any booking fees. Passengers with reduced mobility will also be able to book assistance when buying tickets.
“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,” says transport secretary, Heidi Alexander.
