First Great British Railway branded train unveiled

The first train displaying Great British Railways (GBR) branding has been unveiled.

A Southern Class 387 train in Brighton was given the makeover ahead of the operator's services entering public ownership on 31 May.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the launch made "the future of Britain's railways a reality".

It features a red, white and blue colour scheme mirroring the Union flag, as well as the double-arrow logo initially used by British Rail, with the Department for Transport (DfT) describing the branding as a "fresh, unmistakably British design".

It said it would be rolled out at stations, on staff uniforms and on trains "gradually to ensure value for taxpayers' money".

GBR will be a new public sector body bringing responsibility for tracks and trains under a single organisation for the first time since privatisation in the mid-1990s.

Long-awaited legislation to create GBR was included in the King's Speech.

Alexander said: "The unveiling of the first GBR‑branded train in Brighton 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."

John Whitehurst, chief operating officer at Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said: "We're very pleased to be the first train operator to have a Great British Railways-branded train on our network.

"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, our priorities remain providing safe and reliable services every day, with customers, colleagues and communities at the heart of everything we do."

Services run by GTR's other operators – Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express – will also enter public ownership on 31 May.

They will join West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western in being managed by DfT Operator Limited.

The public ownership programme is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.