Most rail journeys in Great Britain will be under public
ownership by the middle of next year, Labour's Transport
Secretary has announced.
Speaking in a landmark address to the party's Annual Conference
in Liverpool, Ms Alexander is expected to reveal the next four
services to be brought into public ownership.
West Midlands Trains services will transfer on 1 February 2026
and Govia Thameslink Railway's services on 31 May 2026. Chiltern
Railways and Great Western Railways (GWR) services will then be
the next to transfer.
Govia Thameslink is the largest train operator in the country,
meaning that by the middle of next year eight in ten services
will be run by the public, for the public.
In her speech, Ms Alexander is expected to say:
“For too long our railways have been run in the interests of
private profit, under a broken system that failed passengers over
and over again.
“This Labour Government is calling time on 30 years of failure,
frustration, fragmentation. We are returning our railways to
the service of passengers.
“In February next year, West Midlands Trains will become the next
operator to transfer into public ownership.
“And today I can go further, and announce that Govia Thameslink
Railway, Chiltern Railways, and Great Western Railway will
follow.
“We said we would do it in our manifesto – and we are delivering
on our promise.”
The announcement builds on the rapid progress on public ownership
since Labour entered government, overhauling a broken rail system
to put passengers first. The Rail Public Ownership Bill was the
first major piece of legislation passed by this Labour
Government, allowing ministers to take operators back into public
control as their contracts expire – meaning the taxpayer doesn't
foot the bill to buy our way out of expensive contracts.
Legislation to establish Great British Railways, the new
organisation which will take responsibility for the day-to-day
operations of the railways, will be introduced before the end of
the year.
Public ownership of Britain's railways is already delivering for
passengers. Southeastern and LNER are delivering some of the
lowest cancellation rates nationally. Passengers in the north are
now making journeys across Northern and TransPennine Express with
just one ticket. New trains on South Western Railways have
tripled in the four months since it came under public ownership,
offering more comfortable journeys.
Rt Hon , Labour's Transport
Secretary, said:
“Labour is building a railway fit for Britain's future, owned by
the public for the public. We're rejecting the decline and
neglect that was allowed to go on for far too long, and giving
our railways, and our country, the renewal we need.
“We're returning the railways to the service of passengers by
reforming a broken system. Great British Railways will be a
simpler, more unified railway that delivers reliable,
comfortable, and more affordable journeys for all.
“It will take time, but we will sweep away decades of
frustration, waste and pointless bureaucracy, and deliver a Great
British Railway people can be proud of and rely on.”
