Ministers saw how Greater Manchester’s Bee Network rebrand changed public perceptions almost overnight – and want the same bounce for rail

 
The new logo and branding will be different to a Great British Railways logo that was registered with the Intellectual Property Office’s online trade marks journal in 2022

 
The government is set to unveil a new Great British Railways logo in May. The rebranding aims to restore pride in Britain’s railways, with the Union Flag expected to feature prominently.

According to The Times, ministers are understood to have learnt from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and his experiences in launching the franchised Bee Network. Its launch saw public perceptions about the region’s bus network change almost overnight after the distinctive brand was introduced in September 2023.

Officials are currently finalising the new GBR branding, which will gradually replace the names and logos of existing private operators as services are brought back under public control.

We want to usher in a genuinely new era and make it feel different

The renationalisation process will begin within months at South Western Railway, whose predecessor South West Trains was the first train operator to be privatised. It will be followed by London to Essex operator c2c and then Greater Anglia. As each operator is nationalised, its old branding will be dropped in favour of the new GBR logo. The move aims to create a consistent identity across the rail network.

A Whitehall source said the new branding is intended to signal a fresh start for Britain’s troubled railways. “We want to usher in a genuinely new era and make it feel different,” they said. “It’s about restoring pride in the railways – a bit like we do towards Team GB at the Olympics.”

The new logo and branding will be different to a Great British Railways logo that was registered with the Intellectual Property Office’s online trade marks journal in 2022 under the previous government.

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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