đź”— Share this article The New Logo for the UK's National Rail Body is Unveiled. The Transport Department has disclosed the branding for the new national rail body, signifying a significant advance in its strategy to take the railways back into state hands. A Patriotic Palette and Historic Logo The new design showcases a Union Flag-inspired colour scheme to echo the Union Flag and will be rolled out on GBR trains, at railway stations, and across its website and app. Significantly, the logo is the distinctive twin-arrow symbol currently used by National Rail and first introduced in the mid-20th century for British Rail. The distinctive double-arrow symbol was formerly used by the state-owned British Rail. A Implementation Timeline The phased introduction of the branding, which was created by the department, is set to occur in phases. Passengers are scheduled to begin noticing the freshly-liveried trains on the UK rail network from spring next year. Throughout the month of December, the branding will be exhibited at prominent stations, like Birmingham New Street. A Path to Nationalisation The proposed law, which will pave the way the establishment of Great British Railways, is presently making its way through the Parliament. The administration has said it is bringing back into public ownership the railways so the network is "run by the people, working for the passengers, not for private shareholders." GBR will bring the running of train services and tracks and signals under a unified structure. The department has claimed it will merge 17 different entities and "cut through the notorious red tape and poor accountability that continues to plague the railways." Digital Features and Current Public Control The introduction of GBR will also feature a dedicated mobile application, which will allow users to see schedules and reserve journeys without surcharges. Disabled passengers will also be have the option to use the application to arrange assistance. A preview of what the GBR application could look. A number of franchises had already been taken into public control under the previous administration, including Northern. There are now 7 operating companies now in public hands, accounting for about a third of rail travel. In the last twelve months, Greater Anglia have been nationalised, with additional operators likely to be added in the coming years. Ministerial and Sector Response "The new design is more than a new logo," said the Transport Secretary. It signifies "a new railway, leaving behind the issues of the past and focused solely on delivering a reliable service for the public." Industry figures have welcomed the government's commitment to bettering services. "The industry will continue to work closely with relevant bodies to support a smooth handover to the new system," a representative noted.