Heidi Alexander unveils first GBR train in Brighton, Department For Transport

Heidi Alexander unveiled the first department for transport-backed Great British Railways-branded train in Brighton on 21 May 2026, putting the new red, white and blue livery on a Class 387 operated by Southern. The Transport Secretary said: "The unveiling of the first GBR-branded train in Brighton today makes the future of Britain’s railways a reality."

The branding will now appear gradually across England’s rail network, including stations, staff uniforms and trains, as the government begins a wider rollout tied to services moving into public ownership. Around 8 in 10 passenger rail journeys that Great British Railways will ultimately be responsible for will be on publicly owned services.

Southern Class 387

The Brighton unveiling put the first visible GBR identity on a train that passengers already use, rather than on a prototype or a presentation display. Southern’s Class 387 became the first unit to carry the new look, making the branding change immediate for passengers who see it in service.

Govia Thameslink Railway will join the growing publicly owned network on 31 May 2026, extending the rollout beyond the first unveiling. The government is applying the branding gradually across England’s rail network to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.

Public ownership rollout

The branded train arrives as South Western Railway entered public ownership almost one year before 21 May 2026. Passengers on publicly owned Department for Transport train operators are performing better on punctuality and cancellations on average than those yet to come under DfT Operator Limited ownership.

The government has also frozen rail fares for the first time in 3 decades, adding another change for passengers using the publicly owned network. For riders, the immediate shift is visual on the train and at stations now, while the operational change is the steady move of more services under public ownership.