- government will consider public ownership of trains rather
than leasing where it's best for passengers and taxpayers
- public ownership of trains could offer greater flexibility
and substantial savings in some circumstances
- part of new strategy for trains across Great British
Railways, joining up operations to create a simpler, more
reliable and modern railway and support jobs across the country
New trains could be publicly owned rather than leased, as part of
plans set out today (28 September 2026) by the government in a
new strategy for trains and infrastructure.
For the first time in 30 years, the railway will take a
coordinated approach through Great British Railways (GBR) to decide on trains, track,
depots and maintenance, ensuring investment is planned across the
entire network instead of in isolation.
The rolling stock and infrastructure strategy sets out a new
policy for future train procurements. For the first time,
GBR will assess
whether direct public ownership, leasing or other financing
arrangements offer the best value for taxpayers and fare payers.
Stronger public control over essential services like transport
will help make sure they are designed and run in the best
interests of the public, making them work for people and places
again. The government's decision to take back public control over
the railways will create a more joinedup system that puts
passengers first, delivers better and more reliable services and
leaves the fragmentation of the past behind.
For more than 3 decades, most passenger trains have, by default,
been owned by rolling stock companies and leased to operators.
Now, GBR will take a
case-by-case approach to new trains and consider whether private
or public ownership gives taxpayers the best overall
value.
Leasing and maintenance costs for trains cost taxpayers and
passengers more than £4 billion a year, and the Office of Rail
and Road reports that yearly dividends from rolling stock
companies totalled more than £2.5 billion over the last 10 years.
Leasing will remain in place for existing contracts, but it will
no longer be treated as the default choice for new trains. In
some circumstances, buying trains outright could offer
substantial savings for passengers and taxpayers.
This strategy follows the recent announcement that saw Alstom
receive £1 billion investment for a brand-new fleet of UK-made
battery-powered GBRtrains for the Transpennine
Route Upgrade, securing hundreds of jobs in Derby and thousands
more across their supply chain.
The strategy provides further certainty for the rail supply chain
for the UK by providing the basis for a clearer, longer-term
pipeline of investment in trains and infrastructure.
Alongside this, GBR
will prioritise the social benefits of these contracts, primarily
skills and jobs. It will ensure successful contracts provide jobs
and opportunities to the UK workforce, giving GBR a central role in supporting
UK businesses, strengthening skills and capability in every
postcode.
Passengers will benefit from improved reliability as fleets,
infrastructure and maintenance are planned together, while future
trains will feature enhanced passenger information systems and
more consistent digital connectivity.
GBR will enable
closer working under public ownership, removing the barriers that
stop operators and Network Rail from working together to reach
solutions that best meet passenger needs.
The strategy also includes plans for fleet families' which create
a more standardised design across train types, providing more
consistent and accessible trains so passengers always know what
to expect and trains can be used more flexibly across the
network.
As part of the transition to a greener railway, GBR will progressively replace
diesel trains with cleaner technologies, with battery-powered
trains expected to play a role alongside continuing the programme
of electrification.
