Full steam ahead for Great British Railways as 1st branded train unveiled

A historic moment for Britain’s railway was marked on:- Thursday, 21 May 2026, as the 1st Great British Railway 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 1st GBR-branded train, a class 387 operated by Southern, has been unveiled, to mark Britain’s largest train operator GTR joining the growing publicly-owned network next Sunday (31 May 2026) - just in time for summer. It also comes ahead of the 1st 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 eight in ten 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 DfT train operators performing better on punctuality and cancellations on average than those yet to come under DFTO ownership. They’re also benefiting from the first freeze in rail fares in three 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 1st 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 1st, 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 1‑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 Great British Railways, 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 1st 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 1st 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 Sunday, 31 May 2026, 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.