With the first trains returning to public ownership in May, Great British Railways is set to launch a new logo featuring the Union Jack as a central element. The emblem will be displayed on all renationalised trains as part of the government’s efforts to restore national pride in the railway system.
The current Labour government is overseeing the gradual renationalisation of the railway network as private contracts expire. From May 2025, the first trains will begin operating under Great British Railways, marking the transition back to public ownership. The initial services to be renationalised include South Western Railway, c2c, and Greater Anglia.
A Union Jack-Themed design
Instead of reinstating the iconic double-arrow logo once used by British Rail — the state-owned operator that managed the UK’s railways until 1997 — a new design will be introduced. The Union Jack will feature prominently, with a red, white, and blue colour scheme.
“We want to usher in a genuinely new era and make it feel different,” a Whitehall source said. “It’s about restoring pride in the railways, a bit like we do towards Team GB at the Olympics.”
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The new emblem will also differ from the Great British Railways logo previously registered with the Intellectual Property Office’s online trade marks journal under a former Conservative government.
In order to cut costs, it is unlikely that entire trains will be repainted. Instead, the existing branding will be replaced with the new Great British Railways logo. Additionally, the rebranding may include new staff uniforms.
Great British Railways project
The creation of Great British Railways has been in the pipeline for some time, spurred by growing dissatisfaction from both passengers and politicians over the state of the UK’s rail system.
The project was first announced in 2021 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, following a government-commissioned review by former British Airways boss Keith Williams. The review recommended replacing the fragmented franchise model with a concession-based system. However, the implementation has faced multiple delays, and according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the new body will not be fully operational until 2027.
“Our railways have been broken for years, but we are now on the path to rebuilding a system that the British public can once again trust and be proud of”, Alexander stated in December 2024.
