First look at new Great British Railways train ahead of move to public ownership
The first train bearing the Great British Railways (GBR) brand was unveiled.
A Southern Class 387 train at Brighton has undergone a distinctive refurbishment ahead of the operator’s services coming into public ownership on 31 May.
The livery features a red, white and blue color scheme reflecting the Union flag, as well as the double-arrow logo originally used by British Rail.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the launch “makes the future of Britain’s railways a reality”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) described the brand as “fresh, unmistakably British design”.
The DfT has confirmed that this will be phased in at stations, staff uniforms and on trains “to ensure value for taxpayers’ money”.
The GBR will be a new public sector body, bringing responsibility for rails and trains under a single organization for the first time since privatization in the mid-1990s.
The long-awaited legislation to create the GBR was featured in last week’s King’s Speech.
Ms Alexander said: “The opening of the first GBR branded train in Brighton today makes the future of British railways a reality.
“This represents all the work being done by staff across the country to fundamentally reform our railway.
“This is not just a paint job – it is an important step towards building a more united, public railway that puts passengers first, delivers better services and leaves behind the frustrations and fragmentation of the past.”
John Whitehurst, chief operating officer of Southern parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said: “We are delighted to be the first train operator to have a Great British Railways branded train on our network and I am proud of how hard our colleagues have worked to get us here.
“This is a significant milestone for everyone at GTR and reflects our readiness for change and the improvements we have already delivered to our customers.
“As we approach our transition into public ownership on May 31, our priorities remain delivering safe and reliable services every day, with customers, colleagues and communities at the heart of everything we do.”
Services run by GTR’s other operators Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express will also come into public ownership on 31 May.
They will join West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western, which are operated by DfT Operator Limited.
The public ownership program is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
