The first trains carrying the new Great British Railways (GBR) identity for Anglia have been unveiled at London Liverpool Street station, marking a major step in reshaping how rail services are delivered across the East of England.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy joined GBR Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles and senior colleagues from c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia on 16 July for the launch event. On display were c2c Class 357 units 357008 and 357020, alongside Greater Anglia Class 720 units 720144 and 720501, all presented in the distinctive red, white and blue GBR livery.
The rollout represents more than a visual refresh. It signals the operational alignment of c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia under a unified GBR Anglia leadership structure, bringing track and train closer together to improve performance, resilience and customer experience.
A more integrated railway for Anglia
The new identity reflects a broader shift towards integrated working across infrastructure and operations, designed to enable quicker decision-making, clearer accountability and more coordinated service delivery.
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:
"Track and train are two sides of the same coin but for too long they operated independently of each other, with passengers and taxpayers left to bear the consequences."
"By uniting track and train under one identity and leadership in Anglia, we're creating a more reliable service that will put passengers first. It's all part of our plan to deliver the biggest reform of our railways in a generation, creating more, growth, jobs and homes as we work to set up Great British Railways."
Jamie Burles, Managing Director of GBR Anglia, said:
“Seeing the first GBR Anglia trains together at London Liverpool Street is a proud moment and a clear sign of the railway we are building. More importantly, the new identity reflects c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia increasingly planning and delivering as one railway.”
“We are already creating greater flexibility across our train fleets, planning major events more effectively and using closer track-and-train working to trial new services for customers.”
“There is much more to do, but we have made a strong start. Our focus is on turning that progress into better journeys and a more reliable, responsive and efficient railway for everyone who depends on us.”
Early operational benefits already emerging
Beyond branding, GBR Anglia is already delivering tangible operational improvements:
- Fleet flexibility: Approval has been secured for Greater Anglia Class 720 trains to operate on the c2c network, enhancing resilience during disruptions.
- Event planning: Joint working supported thousands of Southend United fans travelling to Wembley, with strengthened services across routes into London.
- Timetable innovation: A new trial of overnight Friday Stansted Express services has been enabled through closer coordination of engineering access and operations.
- Smarter maintenance: Work is ongoing to align maintenance schedules, increase the use of on-train monitoring technology and improve data sharing across organisations.
The coordinated approach is intended to reduce service disruption, improve recovery times and better match capacity to demand across the network.
Gradual rollout across trains and stations
Passengers will begin to see more trains carrying the GBR Anglia identity in the coming weeks and months, as part of a phased implementation designed to minimise disruption.
- Additional Class 357 units will be repainted during planned maintenance cycles.
- Existing c2c and Greater Anglia branding will be gradually replaced.
- The Stansted Express brand will be retained, transitioning to GBR Stansted Express.
- New signage, wayfinding, staff materials and customer communications will be introduced progressively.
During the transition, customers should expect a mix of GBR Anglia, c2c and Greater Anglia branding across the region. Importantly, there will be no changes to services, ticketing or existing travel arrangements.
Image credits: Network Rail
