You may have started to see trains displaying ‘Great British Railways’ and some branding changing at stations. What’s happening?!
The UK Government is in the process of transferring rail services into public ownership. It has established Great British Railways (GBR) as the body responsible for passenger services and infrastructure.
The aim is to bring ‘track and train’ together – previously, tracks were maintained by Network Rail while trains were the responsibility of the service operators (e.g. TransPennine Express).
Integrated leadership teams are being created for the different regions of the country and the changes are being made gradually.
What’s the point?
The Government sees this as a way to unify ‘the railway’ across the country. This should make travel simpler for passengers and improve services, because the organisation responsible (GBR) will be solely focused on the interest of passengers and customers, rather than profits.
It’s hoped this change will save the taxpayer money while also making the railways more efficient, able to respond more quickly to issues and give local leaders more of a say in how services are run in their area.
Keep an eye out for the new trains and the new branding which is heading to our areas. The change shouldn’t impact the services and timetables currently in operation, although what may be changed over the longer term is not yet known.
Read more about GBR on the UK Government website: Great British Railways and the public ownership programme – GOV.UK
New trains for the North
The Government has invested around £1 billion in new, battery-electric trains for the North, which they announced in September 2026 (read the press release here).
The fleet of 29 TransPennine Express trains will be built in Derby and will provide emission-free travel on the non-electrified sections of the railway. They should also make journeys faster, smoother and more efficient, with the trains being more accessible – yes, step-free boarding on all trains!
There will be a bit of a wait before we get to ride them: the trains are due to be built from 2028 and hit the rails in the winter of 2034.
More change!
In other ‘all change’ news, Transport for Greater Manchester is continuing the expansion of the Bee Network – it is starting to reach some of the stations in our CRPs! This re-branding should make travel more accessible and better connect various forms of transport, allowing passengers to link up buses, trains, trams and active travel options.
It will also involve (gradually) the introduction of new ‘tap-in-tap-out’ barriers at local stations to enable passengers to pay one fare for their whole journey, using various forms of transport. There is a Bee Network App which provides journey information and can be used to book tickets.
Read more about the Bee Network and the expansion process (which will last until 2028) on this website: Greater Manchester rail stations joining the Bee Network | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM Keep an eye out for it at your local station!