Thirty years since British Rail was privatised, the UK government has finally seen the error of its ways and is beginning to bring the railway back under public ownership. The Great British Railways will bring together 17 different train operators under one operator and “put money back in passengers’ pockets.”
While we’ve already had a sneak peek at the red, white and blue-coloured, new look trains, logo and app design, before a proper launch in the spring, we’ll start to see this transition of ownership this weekend—with London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway publicly run from Sunday, February 1.
London Northwestern Railway operates services between Liverpool and Birmingham and along the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston; while West Midlands Railway serves destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
“From this Sunday, the thousands of passengers who travel with London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway will be using services that are owned by the public and run with their interests at heart,” said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
“We’re working hard to reform a fragmented system and deliver a reliable railway that regenerates communities, rebuilds the trust of its passengers, and delivers the high standards they rightly expect.”
Both train services are currently operated by West Midlands Trains, and are just the latest operators to enter public ownership under the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act—joining Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER, and South Western Railway.
Okay, so it doesn’t sound like much now, or really look like much, and it won’t really affect the timetables, or lower the cost of your ticket yet, and the new look app and trains won’t be rolled out for a few months still. But WMT managing director, Ian McConnell, has called it “an exciting opportunity.”
“Together, we can drive performance by sharing best practice and accelerating innovation and continue to deliver even better journeys for our passengers. We are now a step further on the journey to Great British Railways. A railway that we can be proud of and one that benefits the passengers and communities we serve.”
What is Great British Railways?
Great British Railways will be responsible for maintaining and improving the country’s railways, as well as modernising ticketing and fares. The new app will be a “one-stop shop” for all passengers’ needs, including buying tickets without a booking fee, checking train times and booking assistance for disabled travellers.
The aim under Great British Railways is to deliver reliable, safe and more affordable journeys. GBR will be held accountable to passengers and respond to public needs. Govia Thameslink Railway is the next to transfer to GBR on May 31, 2026, with full public ownership expected to be completed by the end of 2027.