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The UK government has disclosed the visual identity for Great British Railways, constituting a notable step in its strategy to bring the railways under nationalisation.

A National Colour Scheme and Iconic Symbol

The updated design uses a red, white and blue palette to mirror the Union Flag and will be applied on GBR trains, at stations, and across its website and app.

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

The Implementation Plan

The rollout of the design, which was developed internally, is set to take place in phases.

Travellers are expected to start seeing the newly-branded trains on the network from the coming spring.

During December, the visuals will be displayed at major stations, including Leeds City.

A Path to Nationalisation

The proposed law, which will enable the formation of Great British Railways, is presently progressing through the legislative process.

The administration has argued it is renationalising the railways so the system is "run by the public, working for the public, not for corporate interests."

Great British Railways will bring the running of train services and infrastructure under a unified structure.

The department has claimed it will combine 17 various organisations and "eliminate the problematic administrative hurdles and lack of accountability that has long affected the railways."

App-Based Services and Existing Ownership

The rollout of GBR will also include a comprehensive app, which will let customers to see timetables and purchase journeys absent additional fees.

Disabled passengers will also be have the option to use the application to request assistance.

A number of franchises had already been nationalised under the previous government, such as TPE.

There are currently seven operating companies already in public hands, covering about a one-third of journeys.

In the past year, c2c have been nationalised, with further franchises likely to be added in the coming years.

Official and Industry Comments

"The new design is more than a new logo," commented the Transport Secretary. It represents "a transformed service, leaving behind the frustrations of the previous system and dedicated entirely on delivering a reliable service for the public."

Rail figures have acknowledged the focus to improving services.

"The industry will carry on to collaborate with relevant bodies to support a successful transition to Great British Railways," a senior figure added.