Great British Railways - First Train in New Livery

[Bletchleyite]

Though I don't know what Lumo think of GBR nicking their blue...

"That ticket is for the blue train"...oh!

 

[GoneSouth]

Yet Regional Railways suited everything from a Pacer to a Class 37 in my view. Possibly the best livery of all time?

Regional Express as applied to new 158s was the best I think. Perfect for that new fleet, very smart.

 

[rmHawk765]

A 'nationalist' livery would show coherence, therefore not the erm very playful design seen here. The British Rail liveries were instantly recognisable and clear symbols of pride in our national railways, despite not having a speck of the Union Jack on them.

Ultimately the railways are a service and not an international political statement, but the entire thing from the get-go with 'Great' has been geared towards this. I'm not against having some nationalism in the branding but this isn't the way to do it.

 

[StephenHunter]

Which liveries? I can't think of a single livery that is entirely vinyl-based. Avanti comes the closest with vinyls on the white-based livery. Which is not in the least surprising as vinyl, unlike paint, doesn't provide corrosion protection.

The advertising ones would be. Also, some of the individual liveries on the 91s.

 

[thomalex]

Came across the Hornby model of the new livery which looks great I think. Also makes a good case for the red arrow/flag being only on the front, keep the rest of the carriages just plain blue imo.

From World of Railways https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk...irst-model-in-great-british-railways-branding

 

[JD2168]

The livery looks ok & not as bad as on the initial picture.

Perhaps for the centre carriages they should have done like the Sheffield Supertram’s have which is the livery on the ends & just the main colour block running through the middle

 

[Russel]

The livery looks ok & not as bad as on the initial picture.

Perhaps for the centre carriages they should have done like the Sheffield Supertram’s have which is the livery on the ends & just the main colour block running through the middle

Has there been any additional photos, other than the initial one that looks like it was taken on a Nokia 3410?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Came across the Hornby model of the new livery which looks great I think. Also makes a good case for the red arrow/flag being only on the front, keep the rest of the carriages just plain blue imo.

From World of Railways https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk...irst-model-in-great-british-railways-branding

I think it looks awful on the 80x because the sharp shape of the flag "arrow" contrasts with the curved nose. Different on a square shaped EMU, it looks as good as it's likely to look on those.

Mind you the 80x is an awkward shape for liveries due to the cab side window sitting higher than the door window. I also find the LNER "upsweep" at the end to look a bit clumsy.

 

[Waterlemon]

Thinking about it, SWR's probably will be:
"Great British Railways | SWR"
As SWR's full name together with GBR's would be too long & a mouthful

It was GBR | Southwestern a few months ago. Idk if they have commited to it tho

 

[L+Y]

Another vote here for "not as bad as feared", though I agree it might look odd on odd carriage numbered units.

Wonder if the yellow end will be applied to stock currently running without it?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Here we go…

Full steam ahead for Great British Railways as first branded train unveiled

First Great British Railways‑branded train unveiled as services move into public ownership, with new branding rolling out across England’s rail network.

www.gov.uk

Image shows a 387 in GBR branded red white and blue

A historic moment for Britain’s railway was marked today (21 May 2026), as the first Great British Railways (GBR) branded train was unveiled in Brighton.

Whether it’s building sandcastles, fish and chips on the pier or a staycation, rail travellers to the south and southeast this long weekend can catch a glimpse of the striking new red, white and blue livery, now operating on the tracks.

The first GBR-branded train, a Class 387 operated by Southern, has been unveiled, to mark Britain’s largest train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) joining the growing publicly owned network next Sunday (31 May 2026) – just in time for summer. It also comes ahead of the first anniversary of South Western Railway entering public ownership, kick starting the end of almost 30 years of fragmentation and waste under privatisation.

This transfer represents a landmark moment in the journey to public ownership and will mean around 8 in 10 passenger rail journeys that Great British Railways will ultimately be responsible for will be taking place on publicly owned services. That means when millions of passengers are travelling this summer for holidays, days out or to visit friends and family, they’ll be travelling on a railway with their interests at heart.

Passengers across Britain are already experiencing the benefits of public ownership, with publicly owned Department for Transport (DfT) train operators performing better on punctuality and cancellations on average than those yet to come under DfT Operator Limited (DFTO) ownership. They’re also benefiting from the first freeze in rail fares in 3 decades, saving passengers hundreds of pounds off their season tickets.

Passengers up and down the country will soon begin to see the fresh, unmistakably British design popping up at stations, on staff uniforms and on trains. Rolled out gradually to ensure value for taxpayers’ money, the brand is a clear signal of the government’s commitment to bringing the railway together under one publicly owned identity – putting passengers and the public interest firmly in the driving seat.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

The unveiling of the first GBR-branded train in Brighton today makes the future of Britain’s railways a reality.
It represents all of the work being done by staff up and down the country to fundamentally reform our railway.
This isn’t just a paint job – it’s an important step towards building a more joined‑up, publicly owned railway that puts passengers first, delivers better services and leaves the frustrations and fragmentation of the past behind.

The GBR brand will also feature on the incoming GBR ticketing app – a one‑stop shop where passengers can check train times, buy tickets at the best prices with no booking fees, and book Passenger Assist.

It’s all part of making rail travel smoother, simpler and easier to navigate under GBR, whether travelling for work, weekends away or spur-of-the-moment summer holidays.

GBR will maintain and improve the railways, being accountable to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. Fares and ticketing will be brought into the 21st century, a strengthened passenger watchdog will investigate poor service and demand improvement, and GBR will be empowered to build a railway that supports the government’s missions to drive economic growth and opportunity by unlocking jobs and housing.

John Whitehurst, Chief Operating Officer for GTR, said:

We’re very pleased to be the first train operator to have a Great British Railways-branded train on our network, and I’m proud of how hard colleagues have worked to get us here.
It’s a significant milestone for everyone at GTR, which reflects our readiness for change and the improvements we’ve already been delivering for customers.
As we move closer to our transition to public ownership on 31 May, our priorities remain providing safe and reliable services every day, with customers, colleagues and communities at the heart of everything we do.

VisitBritain CEO, Patricia Yates, said:

Travelling by rail opens up iconic locations as well as less explored destinations, with stunning scenery along the way. The ease and convenience of rail travel to access our outstanding attractions and destinations, in a relaxing and environmentally friendly way, also broadens travel itineraries, encouraging visitors to travel further and stay longer.
An efficient public transport system that offers visitors choice, flexibility, connectivity and great customer service is integral to this, with rail playing a leading role.

As the government steams ahead with its bold rail reforms, passengers across Britain are already experiencing a better railway with frozen rail fares for the first time in three decades and many other benefits:

• More services for passengers: 76,000 seats per week in the December timetable uplift, with 60,000 coming on LNER services on the East Coast Main Line, and over a million passenger journeys on Northern’s new Northumberland Line.
• Strong performance: Publicly owned c2c and Greater Anglia continue to be top performing operators for punctuality and reliability, with over 90% of trains arriving within 3 minutes of their scheduled time and under 2% cancellations.
• Better onboard experience: Since entering public ownership, SWR has more than quadrupled the number of new ‘Arterio’ trains in service. These new trains are quicker and have more space on board.
• Greater flexibility: Passengers can travel with greater confidence knowing that if their train is cancelled, they can use another publicly owned service two hours either side of their train to get to their destination at no extra cost.

From 31 May, Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services will enter public ownership. GTR joins West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western, which are currently managed by DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).

Chiltern Railways’ services will be next to transfer on 20 September 2026, followed by Great Western Railway on 13 December 2026, marking another significant step in the government’s plans to bring services into public ownership. The full public ownership programme is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

 

[sabanda]

Heidi's quote bears all the hallmarks of having been written by ChatGPT, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I'll admit that it doesn't look as bad as I'd feared - but we can now enjoy a GWR interior on a Gatwick Express service with GBR livery and Southern titles. If that doesn't make rail travel simpler and easier to navigate, I don't know what will!

 

[pixelflow]

Would it be safe to assume this is 387172?: gets to Brighton from Lovers Walk at 1102, next movement on that platform is exactly two hours later back to Lovers Walk: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91097/2026-05-21/detailed https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91096/2026-05-21/detailed

 

[Zomboid]

Here we go…

Full steam ahead for Great British Railways as first branded train unveiled

First Great British Railways‑branded train unveiled as services move into public ownership, with new branding rolling out across England’s rail network.

www.gov.uk

View attachment 204545
Image shows a 387 in GBR branded red white and blue

It does at least appear to have a yellow band to indicate first class. Assuming that's what that is supposed to be.

 

[D365]

Just delete the red stuff on the intermediate coaches. And the name. We don't need reminding on every coach in large lettering what the name of the operator is.

Though I don't know what Lumo think of GBR nicking their blue...

"That ticket is for the blue train"...oh!

This is a perfect example of why ’we’ (as in the travelling public) need the operator named on every coach.

 

[SECR 65]

Would it be safe to assume this is 387172?: gets to Brighton from Lovers Walk at 1102, next movement on that platform is exactly two hours later back to Lovers Walk: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91097/2026-05-21/detailed https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91096/2026-05-21/detailed

I would assume so - seeing as it's using a Zulu headcode. If it were to be, say, simply a unit swap on the East Coastway then it would probably be 5U or 5C. It's also STP, not VSTP, so seems to have been planned for a few days.

In other news 387173 is now back in service so it's unlikely that this unit will be re-liveried at this time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 May 2026 ==

Would it be safe to assume this is 387172?: gets to Brighton from Lovers Walk at 1102, next movement on that platform is exactly two hours later back to Lovers Walk: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91097/2026-05-21/detailed https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:X91096/2026-05-21/detailed

Now allocated on RTT as 172

 

[co-tr-paul]

Awaiting the GWR class 57 version... !

 

[Goldfish62]

This is a perfect example of why ’we’ (as in the travelling public) need the operator named on every coach.

Plenty of current liveries don't need the name on every coach now so I don't why it's needed in the future. If anyone thinks that your average passenger takes any notice of such things that would be a bit naive.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Plenty of current liveries don't need the name on every coach now so I don't why it's needed in the future. If anyone thinks that your average passenger takes any notice of such things that would be a bit naive.

As long as there are operator specific fares it needs to be there and pretty clear. Once they're all gone it doesn't.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What I'm wondering is, assuming that not every individual operator will remain a standalone operator, e.g. Greater Anglia and c2c will surely at least both be something like Great British Railways -- Eastern -- or something like that, at what point do we stop using the current names c2c and go forward with the new ones?

I do think they should avoid making too many sub-brand things. So many operators could share one. Southern, Thameslink, SWR and Southeastern could ALL be "Great British Railways -- Southern", for example.

I have a gut feeling the likes of LNER, CrossCountry and Avanti services won't get a little end tag/suffix at all. I bet you're all hoping for "Great British Railways -- Intercity" and perhaps they might, but I have a feeling the Intercity services will just get Great British Railways with the suffixes saved for distinctly regional operations.

 

[Goldfish62]

As long as there are operator specific fares it needs to be there and pretty clear. Once they're all gone it doesn't.

Southern doesn't have its small and subtle logo on the intermediate coaches on its trains yet there are operator-specific fares between it and Thameslink all the way between London and Brighton. Indeed, some "Southern-only" tickets are valid on trains which are bright red, and say Gatwick Express on the side.

It's not what it says on the side of trains that's ever mattered. It's what's on tickets, timetables, platform displays and announcements. Passengers take no notice of what colour a train is or what it says on the side, and it's just as well.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Passengers take no notice of what colour a train is or what it says on the side

I simply do not believe that statement to be correct. I have very often heard stuff like "you need the green train for that ticket".

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I simply do not believe that statement to be correct. I have very often heard stuff like "you need the green train for that ticket".

Indeed there are articles about, if you search for them, complaining about the confusing use of Southern stock on Gatwick Express and vice versa for this very reason.
After all, destination screens can and often do get things wrong.

 

[physics34]

Why is BR tarnished? No one under the age of about 40 will have much if any memory of it anyway. Generally BR made the best of what they had available to them.

“British Railways” sounds a lot snappier than GBR.

I agree, think its harshly tarnished but people seem to remember the bad things about it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 May 2026 ==

Is there any european country that has a) one livery for all trains, and b) has a livery consisting so much of their flag. This seems to be so over done and in your face that I just don't understand it

The dutch used to... but now they just have various ways of displaying yellow, blue and white.
I think common sense will eventually come through and they will amend it over time. IMO intercity needs to come back as a separate sector with its own livery

 

[Mike Machin]

I simply do not believe that statement to be correct. I have very often heard stuff like "you need the green train for that ticket".

That’s definitely been the case. Back in the days of SWT I was waiting at Havant station when a Waterloo train (2 x Class 450) rolled in. A woman who had obviously missed the announcement or hadn’t looked at the display hastily asked another passenger ‘is this the Worthing train?’ to which the other passenger replied ‘no, you need a green train, the blue ones go to London’.

 

[Fincra5]

I feel it was a mistake not to go down the route of Sectors again. Like NSE, RR and Intercity. Nice and simple to split between your Longer Distance service and Commuter and Rural services.
Maybe they will... but every train the same colour isn't the best idea (IMO).

Quite like the Chiltern Livery on the 196s, looks like a modern Regional Railways!

The livery doesn't look terrible... but also don't look great.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

That’s definitely been the case. Back in the days of SWT I was waiting at Havant station when a Waterloo train (2 x Class 450) rolled in. A woman who had obviously missed the announcement or hadn’t looked at the display hastily asked another passenger ‘is this the Worthing train?’ to which the other passenger replied ‘no, you need a green train, the blue ones go to London’.

Or a white one if you’re lucky

 

[Wolfie]

Or a white one if you’re lucky

Or a red one if you are really unlucky lol.....

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Or a red one if you are really unlucky lol.....

Not from Havant

 

[Cardiff123]

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