A Class 387 unit operated on Southern by Govia Thameslink Railway was being unveiled in Great British Railways livery at Brighton on Thursday.
The details may suggest that the former operators’ names are set to be continued by GBR, because the unit bears the words ‘Great British Railways Southern’.
Up to now the fate of the private sector brands had been uncertain, but the new livery appears to resolve that doubt. The brand Southern was originally launched as ‘New Southern Railway’ by Govia in 2003, after it had taken over the franchise from Connex. More recently, it has been one of several brands used by Govia Thameslink Railway.
Govia Thameslink’s contract ends at 02.00 on Sunday, when the operator will be renationalised. As a result, from next week eight out of ten train services will be run by publicly-owned operators who will eventually become part of Great British Railways.
Chiltern Railways will be the next to transfer to DfT Operator on 20 September, followed by Great Western Railway on 13 December. The last operators should have been renationalised by the end of next year.
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.’
A GBR ticketing app is now being built, which will replace operators’ individual web sites.
Govia Thameslink Railway chief operating offcer John Whitehurst 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.’
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