Chiltern Railways transferred to public ownership
The operator, which runs services from London Marylebone, is now part of Great British Railways.
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Chiltern Railways has been brought into public ownership after 30 years as a private company. The operator, which runs services from London Marylebone to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and the West Midlands, is now part of Great British Railways (GBR). The government programme aims to save money and improve services.
Increased capacity and improved services
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The Department for Transport stated that the transfer into public ownership will help tackle overcrowding by introducing 25 additional daily services from December. These weekday services under GBR are expected to provide 10,000 extra seats. The plans include half-hourly services on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham on weekdays, alongside more weekend services. The operator also stated that new trains would improve accessibility and onboard Wi-Fi.
Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy visited Marylebone Station to meet staff on the first day of public ownership. He highlighted the importance of the extra trains and seats for passengers on the line. "The most difficult thing on Chiltern is that it's shorter capacity and those extra trains and those extra seats will make a real difference to people travelling on this line up here from Marylebone every day," Lord Hendy said.
Future plans for public ownership
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The government's long-term aim is for GBR to operate all passenger services by the end of 2027. Great Western Railway's services are scheduled to be the next operator brought into public ownership, on 13 December. Lord Hendy added that each transfer into public ownership provides an opportunity to address passenger concerns such as train frequency, comfort, and punctuality.
From Sunday, passengers whose trains are cancelled will be able to use services from another operator within two hours of their scheduled departure time at no additional cost. Tony Baxter, Chiltern's interim managing director, described Sunday as a significant milestone and expressed anticipation for working with the wider rail industry to deliver improvements.
Questions this report answers
+What has happened to Chiltern Railways?
Chiltern Railways has been transferred into public ownership and is now part of Great British Railways. This follows 30 years of operation as a private company and is part of a wider government programme to bring rail services under public control.
+How will this change affect passengers?
The Department for Transport stated that the transfer aims to tackle overcrowding by introducing 25 additional daily services, providing 10,000 extra seats on weekdays. Services between London and Birmingham will include half-hourly trains on weekdays, with improved accessibility and Wi-Fi also planned.
+When will all passenger services be under public ownership?
The government's stated aim is for Great British Railways to operate all passenger services by the end of 2027. Great Western Railway is the next operator scheduled for transfer into public ownership on 13 December.
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