please empty your brain below
Great to see another domino fall! Perhaps rail ticketing will be reduced to something consistent and sensible as well by 2030.

heather l. | 25.05.25 - 7:17 a.m. | #

Apart from the Overground lines, can we have Network Southeast back, pretty please.

Still Anon | 25.05.25 - 7:20 a.m. | #

Given ROSCOs and FOCs will remain in the private sector and the varying degrees of devolved powers in Scotland, Wales, London, Merseyside and probably other combined authorities and the fact that all TOCs will continue to operate as separate entities then it will certainly not be simple.

gruntbuggly | 25.05.25 - 7:25 a.m. | #

I've a certain nostalgia for the now much derided British Rail. Back in my student days I could get a free trip anywhere on the network when purchasing a railcard, which if memory serves also allowed a 50% discount on fares rather than the current 1/3.

Ticketing was pretty straightforward too; probably just singles, returns, weekend returns and cheap day returns with the fare being the same for walk up or advance purchases.

So yes, bring on Great British Railways!

Tim | 25.05.25 - 7:36 a.m. | #

There was a lot of hype about the unveiling of a new GBR logo today, and this had made me worried, but I’m overjoyed to see that the logo is still the classic BR double arrow Rail Symbol (albeit in its digital version 2), without any hideous Union Jack incursions.

Dan | 25.05.25 - 7:41 a.m. | #

I wonder if at some point there'll be eyebrows raised high at the "Great" in GBR. I realise it deliberately echos Great Britain, but somehow feels rather hubristic.

Frank F | 25.05.25 - 7:46 a.m. | #

'Great British Railways' is accurate, as Translink will remain a separate operation, run by the NI government

Having "Great" in the name of a railway is hardly a novelty - think of GCR, GER, GNR, GNoSR, GWR from pre-Grouping days

Timbo | 25.05.25 - 8:07 a.m. | #

Lucky they were able to find an in-service Arterio train for the 0614

Rob | 25.05.25 - 8:26 a.m. | #

This is just the passenger train operating companies, isn’t it?

Network Rail was recreated to renationalise the track, signals and station infrastructure in 2002, because privatising that monopoly worked about as well as water privatisation.

Would there be any benefit in bringing the rolling stock and freight back into public ownership too?

Andrew | 25.05.25 - 9:24 a.m. | #

On my GWR train from London to Bristol and Weston yesterday, there was no hot water for the “catering” (ie a trolley, since buffets are long-gone), so cold drinks only, and from Chippenham the train was so full the corridor was packed with standing passengers; both reminiscent of the glory days of BR. Mind you, it ran to time, but the potential benefits of nationalisation still far outweigh the First Group fares rip-off model.

Labourer | 25.05.25 - 9:53 a.m. | #

This is a fascinating summary, thank you.

TW | 25.05.25 - 10:41 a.m. | #

gruntbuggly: The individual TOCs will eventually be abolished and folded into GBR, which is likely to be a renamed Network Rail.

It’s worth a regular reminder that fares policy, service provision and catering provision etc etc has been largely dictated by the DfT throughout the privatisation era.

Graham | 25.05.25 - 10:49 a.m. | #

Eleven Minutes Late by Matthew Engle is a fascinating look at how governments of all colours and ages have hated funding railways - it being seen a massive money-sink, and becoming Minister for Transport was very much drawing the short straw!

I'm for nationalisation, but funding all public services has a dismal track record! It will be interesting to see how it GBR fairs this time round!

Cornish Cockney | 25.05.25 - 11:31 a.m. | #

"Greater Western Railway"!? I really hope that doesn't ever become a public-facing name.

Anonymous | 25.05.25 - 12:04 p.m. | #

I pray that Avanti West Coast goes the same way. It is quite honestly the worst train service that I have ever encountered, with regular cancellations and no more of those lovely chocolate biscuits in First.

Wendy C | 25.05.25 - 12:09 p.m. | #

Rolling stock and freight could in theory be brought back in, but it would be very expensive. Unless done without compensation, but that would provoke enormous squealing (cue tiny violins) but also a possible Truss style run on the pound (not nice).

Malcolm of Kent | 25.05.25 - 12:47 p.m. | #

Worth noting that, oversimplifying greatly, Great British Railways will have an enormous TfL-shaped hole. Much like how British Rail had an enormous LT-shaped hole.

Malcolm of Kent | 25.05.25 - 12:54 p.m. | #

I don't understand why they're using the union flag given GBR won't be responsible for Northern Ireland's railways. I assume they'd hoped to call it UK Rail until someone pointed out it didn't include Northern Ireland.

ap | 25.05.25 - 1:16 p.m. | #

Graham there is no plan to abolish the separate TOCs or any appetite to harmonise terms and conditions across them. Eventually could be a very long time in the future.

gruntbuggly | 25.05.25 - 1:30 p.m. | #

Nationalisation won’t necessarily make things better, particularly if extra funding is not forthcoming. Any attempt at harmonisation will lead to fare increases (‘simplification’ always means some people paying a lot more!) and disruption as unions hold a larger group to ransom. Private ROSCOs mean we’ll continue to pay enormous profits to banks. Yes it might be good on a political/ideological principle, but that only gets you so far…

Nick | 25.05.25 - 1:43 p.m. | #

Perhaps more important with regard to performance: track and train integration. Coming first to Southeastern according to a Guardian article earlier in the week.

matthieu1221 | 25.05.25 - 2:30 p.m. | #

The Great British Railways brand was dreamt up by the Tories. The right-wing press, GB News, Kemi and Nige would have had a field day if Labour reverted to British Rail(ways) for today’s launch. We all know that the name looks and sounds rubbish but it’s not a battle the government needs right now. At least the arrows of indecision remained in a solid colour.

Sinnick | 25.05.25 - 10:42 p.m. | #

I presume 0200 was chosen because SWR wasn't operating any trains at this time.

Still Anon | 25.05.25 - 10:45 p.m. | #

Be careful what you wish for as simplification of ticketing may increase the price of very cheapest tickets.

MilesT | 26.05.25 - 12:04 a.m. | #

SWR Waterloo destination boards often say Addlestone instead of Woking / Weybridge.

I was looking for non existent trains LOL (even barrier staff had to search their phones)

Though I tend to get off midway.

Ole Kitty | 26.05.25 - 12:43 a.m. | #

Seems odd that there's still no plan to transform the suburban rail network within and just beyond the southern London boundary into a single, integrated network. The transfer of services to TfL was planned well over a decade ago until Chris Grayling vetoed it.

Gerry | 26.05.25 - 1:13 a.m. | #

I expect fares to increase under GBR. Don't believe me - just look at what nationalised LNER has already done to get the direction of travel.

Abolition of return tickets.
Removal of flexible super-off peak and off-peak fares replaced by train specific Advance fares.
Compulsory reservations (not quite for those in the know but this is what they want!)

Be careful what you wish for.

Hadders | 26.05.25 - 8:51 a.m. | #

I live opposite an SWR station. One detail surprised me: when SWR took over from SWT, I expected to see the livery change as soon as the man with the paint-box could finish his task. Not a bit of it. Did Stagecoach mind having their livery on show for years after losing out?

BRUCE PERKINS | 26.05.25 - 12:01 p.m. | #

0200 will have been chosen as that's the start of the "railway day" I believe. Presumably since starting the day at midnight would be inconvenient (for passengers on Day Return tickets, for example), given that many services run beyond that point.

Ted | 27.05.25 - 9:05 a.m. | #

I suspect in a decade we'll wonder why we were so desperate to renationalise when we find little has changed. The main things people care about are punctuality and the cost of tickets and I can't see either of those will change much.

Whilst I'm not an ideologue about how transport is run, we do forget that privatisation did, at least in the early years, significantly improve some routes.

Anders | 27.05.25 - 1:51 p.m. | #











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