The livery design for the new Great British Railways has been revealed, and passengers will be able to have a look at the design for the first time tomorrow (9th December).
The Government is currently bringing train operators back into public ownership in a bid to improve the system.
Seven operators are now in Government ownership, and now a new train livery has been announced.
The branding and logo will be rolled out from Spring 2026 and will feature on trains, websites and stations to bring the railway under one brand.
It will also feature in the new ticketing app, where passengers can check times, buy tickets and also book passenger assistance.
The design features red, white and blue ot mirror the Union Jack flag.
The GBR logo has also been revealed, featuring the iconic double arrow symbol.
The Railways Bill has been debated in the House of Commons today, which will bring together 17 organisations under one brand.
The brand will be on display at London Bridge on the 9th December, with a special one-day exhibit, plus a special Hornby model train and a demo of the GBR-branded train in Train Sim World 6.
Posters will be on display at Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central, Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly.
“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.
“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.
“With fares frozen, a bold new look and fundamental reforms becoming law, we are building a railway Britain can rely on and be proud of.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander
Responses
The new livery does look stylish in my opinion, but does not function well. Firstly, there are no clear wheelchair and bike access markings over the doors, unlike the Northern livery wich has a clear band over the door. It is also not obvious where first class is located, unlike the old Brittish Railway livery wich had a gold strip at the top of each carriage. Another issue is that its hard to tell the difference between a regional, semifast or intercity train, unlike the sectorisation period. It is also unclear on the area of operation, not having region markings like Northern or West Coast.
What a lot of Moaning Minnies. Am I the only one who thinks that it looks rather smart?
A horrific Frankenstein between the TPE and AWC liveries
What a boring, unoriginal, trashy, irritating colour splash this is. Why can’t we get back to having proper railway liveries, rather than this sort of nonsense? What a complete waste of money. The people who claim to have ‘created’ this rubbish should never be permitted to design any colour scheme connected to railways ever again.
GBR will save millions. Lets spend millions reliverying everything yet again… still, its better than dirty white on Thameslink.
Garish and gaudy.
You can tell this was done in house, and the branding companies exist for a reason.
Was the market research carried out at a reform conference?
We’ll be going from some really simple and elegant TOC (like LNER, GWR) designs to this.
Awful
I could also see this new livery on Greater Anglia and c2c as both train operators were nationalised in 2025. And other train operators to be nationalised and to be replaced by Great British Railways. Including Thameslink Southern & Great Northern “TSGN”, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway), Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast.
Dreadful. Designed by the blind toilet cleaner at Tate Modern?
And return of the sad “double arrows of in-decision” ?
Might as well use the old NSE livery and be done with it.
At least that had a more sensible colour continuity along the stock.
We could save millions by NOT splashing the wild claim “Great (!) British Railways” * mantra across every vehicle. The Great Western at least had a valid claim- but even THEY had the sense to save paint and use the “Shirt Button”. Unassuming – but EVERYONE knew what it meant! *It’ll be called Brit Rail, or Brit Trains by the public anyway………..
“This is the AGE – of Eye Strain” ? (oops, Unfortunate association there.)
A simpler design would be much more appealing. Too many colour variences.
I quite agree with you WGAP
The Government is currently bringing train operators back into public ownership in a bid to improve the system.
I saw this ‘improvement’ this weekend, when my daughter and stepdaughter had trains cancelled without notice, or reasons. This is the socialist future. Railways with no incentive to improve, because the Unions and workers think governments will do an NHS and continue to pour money in, until they don’t. Railways grew more popular under private enterprise, yes the fares are a disgrace, and yes the grouping was wrong, but not as bad as it already is becoming.
I suspect that most of the politicians currently spouting how big an improvement nationalising the railways will make, are too young to remember nationalised British Rail and its dire “services”.
Hear. Hear. I quite agree.
Red, White & Blue ….Network South-East after a break of 30 something privatised years is back ! But will it make the likes of Greater Anglia and LNER actually run on-time ?
Absolute Rubbish, The Drivers window shouls be Blue. Looks like an angry wasp. No style, No future
That looks really awful
I hope the designers didn’t get paid much, the livery looks horrible. If all rolling stock is going to be painted this way i won’t be out with my camera very much.
Phil, I TOTALLY AGREE !
I don’t have any issue with the livery itself l. It’s a bit busy, & I’d have preferred something similar to the old BR southeast days, but that’s nostalgia talking. My only issue is having the pattern repeated on every carriage. Surely the intermediate coaches should continue the pattern from the previous coach, not just repeat it. I feel that should’ve changed.
I agree about the intermediate coach livery – it looks too busy for my taste. Not quite sure how to continue it from the front back down the train, without there being a mass of boring blue, but I’m sure something can be done.
And of course the repeating pattern has to be reversed halfway along the train to avoid the new front going backwards when the train reverses. So half the train will always have this pattern going backwards. I don’t think this has been properly thought through, but I’m afraid that’s going to be typical of the new nationalised railway!
Yes Christopher it certainly will be typical of the ‘new’ nationalised railway, unfortunately.
So…. are all the TOCs going to be one huge company or ate they still going to be their own individual company. For instance in station annoumnents will each conpany be announced or be GBR.
I think the aim is to make one huge outfit, like British Rail was before privatisation, That’ll stifle any innovation of course just as BR did.
MY EYES!!! THEY BURN!!
i dont know if its me or not but the livery looks really bad…
Oliver, its not you. The colour splash (I refuse to call it a livery) is really bad. ‘Designed’, (if that is the correct word!?) by idiots who really do not have a clue to what they are doing.
That’s certainly a livery…