Most Great Britain Rail Journeys Expected Under Public Ownership by Mid-2026

The UK government is continuing its significant shift to public ownership of rail services, with most rail journeys in Great Britain expected to be publicly operated by mid-2026. The next rail operators to transfer to public ownership include West Midlands Trains on February 1, 2026, followed by Govia Thameslink Railway on May 31, 2026, with Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway to follow thereafter. This move means that by the middle of next year, 80% of passenger rail journeys will be run by the public sector, fulfilling a key promise from the Labour government's manifesto. The Rail Public Ownership Bill, the first major legislation passed by the government, allows the transition of services back into public control as contracts expire, with all passenger services expected to be publicly owned by the end of 2027. A new public body, Great British Railways, will be established to oversee day-to-day railway operations, with legislation expected to be introduced within the current parliamentary session. Publicly owned operators like Southeastern and LNER are already showing improvements in service reliability and train availability, supporting the government's aim to provide a world-class public railway service.