Ministers at the UK Department for Transport have unveiled the new design for the country’s renationalised rail service as a red, white, and blue livery that aims to tap into the colours of the national flag and a familiar arrow logo to give a “nod to Britain’s proud railway heritage.”
Revealed at an event at London Bridge on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, the Great British Railway (GBR) design, created by the DfT itself and not an outside agency, brings back the double arrow iconography of the UK’s last national train service, known as British Rail and privatised by the John Major Conservative government in 1993.
Although the design was made in-house, a gaming firm is helping ministers drive home news of the new, nationalised look, with digital simulations and display boards arriving soon in some of the country’s major stations, such as Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central, Leeds City, and Manchester Piccadilly.
Over half a dozen of the UK’s private train companies are now back under public management, and further moves to reshape the UK’s rail network after three decades of privatisation were being put forward to the House of Commons this week, but transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “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.”
The design will appear not just on trains but also on the GBR website and app. Calling the design more than “just a paint job”, Alexander said the livery “represents a new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers.”
Great British Railways – coming soon to a train near you. 🇬🇧🚂
— Heidi Alexander MP (@Heidi_Labour) December 9, 2025
The GBR brand will soon be rolled out on trains, websites, stations and more.
You'll see it on the new app, a one-stop – shop where you can check trains times and book tickets without fees. pic.twitter.com/RvXbEzYs51
That “proper service” includes a newly empowered oversight watchdog and better integration, bringing 17 different entities under one umbrella and making services more coherent, especially when it comes to booking tickets across different parts of the country and catering to the needs of passengers who require special assistance.
Fulfilling a Labour Party election promise, the remaining two-thirds of the rail renationalisation is due for completion by the end of 2027. In the meantime, the government has said it will freeze regulated English rail fares for 2026. The new GBR is purposely set to be based outside of London and the UK’s south, with the headquarters destined for Derby in the East Midlands.
