I am confirming to the House that on Sunday, 1 February 2026, West Midlands Trains, operating as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway, will become the fourth operator whose services will transfer into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act.
Operations will now be run by a new public sector operator – WM Trains Limited – a subsidiary of public corporation DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).
This now means that 8 of the 14 train operators that my department is responsible for and which will form the backbone of passenger services under Great British Railways (GBR), are in public ownership.
Govia Thameslink Railway’s services will be the next to transfer on 31 May 2026, with the intention that Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway’s services will follow. Expiry notices will be issued to confirm the dates of transfer for these operators once a final decision has been taken.
Public ownership is already putting passengers at the heart of the railway, but, in and of itself, is not a silver bullet. To truly fix the structural issues that have long plagued our railways, we need systemic reform.
The railways bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish GBR, a new publicly owned body, that will run and manage the tracks and trains for passengers and freight use every day. The bill will also give passengers a powerful new voice with a passenger watchdog, and an enhanced role for devolved governments and England’s mayors to have a bigger say in how the railway is run in their regions.
GBR will take responsibility for the day-to-day operational delivery of the railways from delivering services to setting timetables, managing access to the network and operating, maintaining and renewing infrastructure. It will also bring fares and ticketing into the 21st century, simplifying the baffling array of fares and ticketing that passengers currently endure, ensuring they get the best value for money. The new GBR app and website will allow passengers to buy tickets, check train times and access a range of support all in one place.
Ahead of the establishment of GBR, the management of track and train is already being brought closer together with integrated leadership across DFTO train operating companies and Network Rail routes in defined regional areas. This will deliver improvements for passengers and freight users.
Furthermore, for the first time in 30 years, rail fares will be frozen for a year from March 2026. This will put money back in passengers’ pockets and ease the cost of living for hard-working people, including delivering savings across over a billion journeys.
The government continues to deliver on its Plan for Change, with investment and reform driving growth and rebuilding Britain. Reforming our railways is central to this and will drive improved performance, bringing more people back to rail, generating greater revenue and reducing costs.