British Rail wasn’t all bad. Sixty years after the brand launched we should remember its marketing successes
- Written by Lewis Smith, Lecturer in Marketing, Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London

In 2025 Britain is marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Many will be quick to celebrate the legacy of steam engines and the old red lion railway logo, but there’s one bit of Britain’s railway that perhaps doesn’t get enough praise – British Rail. Abbreviated to BR, the brand is 60...