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The UK government has revealed the visual identity for Great British Railways, constituting a notable advance in its policy to bring the railways under public control.

A Patriotic Colour Scheme and Familiar Logo

The updated branding features a red, white and blue colour scheme to represent the UK flag and will be used on GBR trains, at terminals, and across its online presence.

Significantly, the logo is the iconic twin-arrow symbol historically used by the national rail network and first created in the mid-20th century for British Rail.

The Implementation Plan

The phased introduction of the new look, which was created by the department, is set to happen over time.

Passengers are set to start seeing the freshly-liveried services on the UK rail network from next spring.

In the month of December, the design will be showcased at prominent railway stations, such as Glasgow Central.

A Journey to Public Ownership

The proposed law, which will allow the creation of GBR, is presently progressing through the House of Commons.

The administration has argued it is renationalising the railways so the network is "run by the people, working for the people, not for private shareholders."

Great British Railways will unify the running of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.

The government has said it will unify seventeen different organisations and "cut through the frustrating administrative hurdles and lack of accountability that has long affected the railways."

App-Based Services and Existing Public Control

The introduction of GBR will also include a new mobile application, which will allow passengers to see train times and purchase journeys absent surcharges.

Accessibility passengers will also be able to use the app to request assistance.

Multiple operators had already been nationalised under the previous government, such as LNER.

There are currently 7 operating companies now in state ownership, representing about a third of passenger trips.

In the past year, South Western Railway have been brought into public ownership, with further franchises expected to follow in the coming years.

Official and Sector Response

"The new design is more than a new logo," commented the Transport Secretary. It symbolises "a transformed service, leaving behind the frustrations of the previous system and focused solely on delivering a genuine passenger-focused service."

Rail figures have acknowledged the focus to enhancing the passenger experience.

"We will carry on to cooperate with industry partners to ensure a seamless handover to the new system," one executive said.