Here’s what people really think about the new Great British Railways design

The new look of Britain’s railways has been unveiled – in its full red white and blue glory.

The government has revealed the branding for the Great British Railways company – complete with a huge Union Jack design – which is due to launch in the spring as part of the government’s move to nationalise the UK’s train operators.

The GBR logo features the iconic double arrow rail symbol which is currently visible in signs across all of our train stations in England.

But while the emblazoned trains may look swish and exactly what the government wants to achieve with its VERY British branding, it’s sparked a bit of a conversation online.

Jonathan Green wrote on X: ‘No matter how much train fares will cost under the new nationalised Great British Railways, no one can accuse the government of wasting money on an expensive redesign. Looks like someone knocked over a pile of paint pots in B&Q.’

Joey Andrews, meanwhile, likened the design to the TransPennine Express branding, writing on X: ‘Great British Railways: “Hey, can I copy your homework??” TransPennine Express: “yeah sure, just change it up a bit so it doesn’t look obvious that you copied it!”’

One keen observer of our transport history added: ‘The color scheme of the Great British Railways looks similar to the Network SouthEast brand from the 1980s and 1990s.’

Chris Date meanwhile said: ‘My opinion on the new Great British Railways (GBR) livery. It looks like the Union Flag, Network SouthEast, Transpennine Express and GB News had a foursome.’

What is the Great British Railways?

Privately owned train operators running services across the UK are currently being nationalised. Seven operators are already in public hands, including South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia.

The Great British Railways plan comes one step closer to becoming a reality when MPs debate the new Railways Bill in Parliament today.

Although the bill is expected to pass, it needs to be debated and passed to officially create the Great British Railways.

How will it improve train services?

The Transport Secretary said the Great British Railways ‘isn’t just a paint job.’

She said the plan is to reduce delays and cancellations, and improve the quality of services.

South Western Railways, which was nationalised in the spring, has quadrupled the number of its new Arterio trains, boosting passenger capacity by almost 10%, the Department for Transport said.

Are there going to be cheaper tickets?

For passengers worn down by delays and cancellations, a publicly owned rail company is set to bring more reliable services.

However, the new Great British Railways does not necessarily bring cheaper train tickets, the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has warned, which is likely to anger passengers caught out by the often complex ticketing system.

But some respite is on the way to help with soaring train ticket prices after the government announced it will freeze regulated fares like season tickets, and peak and off-peak returns between cities.

The GBR ticketing app, once launched, will feature ticket sales and train timetables under one roof.

Passengers will be able to buy train tickets without any booking fees, which are currently applied when purchasing tickets from privately-run operators or third-party ticket websites. Disabled passengers can use the app to book passenger assist when purchasing a ticket.

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