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The government has revealed the branding for the new national rail body, marking a significant stride in its strategy to take the railways under public control.

A National Palette and Iconic Emblem

The new branding showcases a patriotic design to represent the UK flag and will be rolled out on GBR trains, at railway stations, and across its digital platforms.

Notably, the symbol is the well-known twin-arrow design currently used by National Rail and previously created in the mid-20th century for British Rail.

The Implementation Timeline

The rollout of the branding, which was designed internally, is scheduled to happen in phases.

Commuters are scheduled to begin noticing the freshly-liveried services throughout the UK rail network from spring next year.

In December, the design will be exhibited at key stations, including Manchester Piccadilly.

A Journey to Renationalisation

The Railways Bill, which will pave the way the establishment of Great British Railways, is presently moving through the Parliament.

The government has argued it is bringing back into public ownership the railways so the system is "run by the passengers, delivering for the passengers, not for profit."

Great British Railways will consolidate the operation of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.

The department has claimed it will combine seventeen various bodies and "eliminate the frustrating bureaucracy and accountability gap that has long affected the railways."

Digital Services and Existing Ownership

The rollout of Great British Railways will also include a dedicated mobile application, which will allow users to view schedules and purchase tickets free from additional fees.

Accessibility travellers will also be have the option to use the application to book assistance.

A number of operators had already been nationalised under the previous administration, such as Southeastern.

There are now seven train operators now in state ownership, accounting for about a one-third of journeys.

In the last twelve months, c2c have been brought into public ownership, with more expected to follow in the coming years.

Official and Sector Reaction

"The new design isn't just a new logo," said the Transport Secretary. It represents "a transformed service, shedding the issues of the previous system and concentrated solely on providing a proper service for the public."

Industry leaders have responded positively to the pledge to improving the passenger experience.

"We will carry on to cooperate with industry partners to support a successful handover to GBR," a representative noted.