Great British Railways and the public ownership programme
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-08)

Updates on the programme to transfer rail services into public ownership and establish GBR as the body responsible for passenger services and infrastructure.

Great British Railways is on track

On 5 November 2025, the Railways Bill (https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4030) was introduced before Parliament. This landmark legislation will enable the creation of publicly owned Great British Railways (GBR).

GBR will be the single ‘directing mind’ for the railways, bringing track and train together, putting passengers and customers first, rebuilding trust in the railway and operating the majority of passenger services under public ownership and control.

We have now unveiled the new logo for GBR, alongside the branding for this new organisation (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/all-change-the-future-of-british-trains-arrives-as-government-reforms-broken-railways). It will be rolled out from the spring to trains, websites, stations and more – bringing the whole railway together under one brand with one mission: to deliver for passengers.

GBR will end years of fragmentation and will have a relentless focus on driving up standards for passengers, including simpler fares and ticketing. It will have the independence and tools it needs to deliver improvements to rail services and plan and run the railway on a long-term basis in the interest of its passenger and freight customers and taxpayers.

Instead of having to navigate 14 separate train operators, passengers will once again simply be able to use ‘the railway’. They will travel on GBR trains, running on GBR tracks, and working to a GBR timetable – all run by a single body focused on their interests. That will mean fewer delays, a better experience, and a timetable that better serves their needs.

Establishing Great British Railways

In February 2025, the government’s consultation on the Railways Bill (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-railway-fit-for-britains-future) outlined plans to set up GBR as a new arm’s length body, responsible for rail services and infrastructure.

The Railways Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2025. GBR is expected to be operational around 12 months after the bill receives Royal Assent.

In the meantime, the government is working with publicly owned operators to ensure they deliver for passengers and significant progress is already being made:
- South Western Railway has quadrupled the number of its new Aterio trains, increasing capacity by nearly 10%
- a new East Coast Mainline timetable is being introduced this month to add 10,000 extra LNER services annually, meaning 60,000 more seats a week and more, cheaper tickets available
- Southeastern Railway has also invested £2 million in video and camera technology to help identify potential faults on the rail network so they can be fixed quickly
Public ownership programme

On 4 December 2024, the government launched the rail public ownership programme and announced the first services to transfer (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed) into public ownership.

South Western Railway’s services were the first under new legislation to transfer into public ownership on 25 May 2025, followed by c2c’s services on 20 July 2025 and Greater Anglia’s services on 12 October 2025. West Midlands Trains’ services will be next to transfer on 1 February 2026 and then Govia Thameslink Railways’ services will transfer on 31 May 2026.

The Secretary of State for Transport has outlined the intention for Chiltern Railways’ and Great Western Railways’ services to be the next services to transfer. Expiry notices will be issued to confirm the dates of transfer once a final decision has been taken regarding each operator.

The transfer of passenger services operated under contracts with DfT is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Ahead of the establishment of GBR, services will transfer to a new publicly-owned operating company, which will be a subsidiary of DFTO.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/25/enacted) makes provision for rail passenger services to be provided by public sector operators, instead of by means of franchises. This act enables the government to deliver its manifesto commitment to bring passenger services into public ownership as a first step towards wider rail reform. The legislation applies to England, Scotland and Wales.

Publications

GBR: improvements train operators in public ownership are making for customers (https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/gbr-improvements-train-operators-in-public-ownership-are-making-for-customers) – DFT publication, 8 December 2025

A railway fit for Britain’s future: government response (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-railway-fit-for-britains-future-government-response) – DFT publication, 5 November 2025

Railways Bill factsheets (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/railways-bill) – DFT publication, 5 November 2025

Our roadmap to an accessible railway (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessible-railways-roadmap) – DFT publication, 5 November 2025

Public ownership of rail services: facts and figures (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-ownership-of-rail-services-facts-and-figures) – DFT publication, October 2025

Announcements
- All change: The future of British trains arrives as Government reforms broken railways (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/all-change-the-future-of-british-trains-arrives-as-government-reforms-broken-railways) – DfT press release, 8 December 2025
- Rail reform and Great British Railways (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rail-reform-and-great-british-railways) – written ministerial statement, 5 November 2025
- Rail Reform in the Wales and Borders area (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rail-reform-in-the-wales-and-borders-area) – written ministerial statement, 5 November 2025
- Journey to Great British Railways gathers steam with landmark legislation (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/journey-to-great-british-railways-gathers-steam-with-landmark-legislation) – DfT press release, 4 November 2025
- Greater Anglia services transferred to public ownership (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/greater-anglia-services-transferred-to-public-ownership) – DFTO statement, 12 October 2025
- Half of rail operators publicly owned with Greater Anglia onboard (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/half-of-rail-operators-publicly-owned-with-greater-anglia-onboard) – DfT press release, 10 October 2025
- Next train services to return to public ownership revealed as government delivers railways reset (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed-as-government-delivers-railways-reset) – DfT press release, 26 September 2025
- c2c services transferred to public ownership (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/c2c-services-transferred-to-public-ownership) – DFTO statement, 20 July 2025
- London to Essex c2c services return to public control in step towards Great British Railways (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/london-to-essex-c2c-services-return-to-public-control-in-step-towards-great-british-railways) – DfT press release, 18 July 2025
- Great British Railways in action – passengers benefit from track and train being united on South Eastern Railway (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-british-railways-in-action-passengers-benefit-from-track-and-train-being-united-on-south-eastern-railway) – DfT press release, 25 May 2025
- New dawn for rail as South Western services return to public hands (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-dawn-for-rail-as-south-western-services-return-to-public-hands) – DfT press release, 25 May 2025
- South Western Railway services transferred to public ownership (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/south-western-railway-services-transferred-to-public-ownership) – DFTO statement, 25 May 2025
- Transfer of South Western Railway’s services into public ownership (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/transfer-of-south-western-railways-services-into-public-ownership) – written ministerial statement, 22 May 2025
- Rail reform: a railway fit for Britain’s future (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rail-reform-a-railway-fit-for-britains-future) – written ministerial statement, 25 February 2025
- New rail watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold railway to account (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rail-watchdog-to-give-passengers-a-voice-and-hold-railway-to-account) – DfT press release, 18 February 2025
- First train services to return to public ownership revealed (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed) – DfT press release, 4 December 2024
- Public ownership: railway passenger services (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/public-ownership-railway-passenger-services) – written ministerial statement, 4 December 2024
Consultations
- A railway fit for Britain’s future (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-railway-fit-for-britains-future) – DfT consultation, 18 February 2025