London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services return to public ownership

Half of all rail journeys that Great British Railways will ultimately be responsible for will be on services run by publicly owned operators from Sunday, as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services join the fast-growing family of operators owned by the public for the public.  

The milestone marks a further step towards creating an integrated rail network that passengers can rely on and be proud of under Great British Railways, which will deliver reliable, safe and more affordable journeys. 

This brings the two sides of the West Midlands Trains (WMT) business under public ownership: London Northwestern Railway, which operates services between Liverpool and Birmingham and along the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston, and West Midlands Railway, which serves destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.   

These services power the Midlands’ economy and beyond – connecting people to work, education, and opportunities every day. Better connections mean more homes built, more jobs created, and stronger local economies from Liverpool to London, and across the West Midlands.  

WMT is the fourth operator to enter public ownership under the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, marking another step towards a simpler, more unified railway under Great British Railways (GBR) and coinciding with the government's decision to freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years. 

GBR will be accountable to passengers and will drive a relentless focus on responding to their needs. Responsible for coordinating the whole network: from track and train, to cost and revenue – GBR will deliver lasting change and build a railway fit for Britain’s future, owned by the public, for the public. 

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander during a visit to Wolverhampton Railway Station

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMRE, said: "For too long, passengers have had to put up with unreliable and overcrowded trains and a confusing ticket system run by companies that put profit before people.

"Now we have a government which is delivering on its pledge to take public ownership and fix our broken railways. This is about more than a badge on the side of a train – and I will be working closely with ministers to improve West Midlands Railway services and raise standards.

"And with my plans to take back control of our buses making good progress, we have an opportunity to create a truly integrated public transport system offering smooth, reliable and affordable journeys, whether passengers are travelling by train, bus or tram.

Mal Drury-Rose, Executive Director of the West Midlands Rail Executive, said: "We have a strong record of putting local communities at the heart of decisions about the rail network, and we look forward to continuing that work with government and industry, building on our extensive experience and investment in the region.

"The transfer of West Midlands Railway services provides a clear platform for aligning customer priorities and regional ambitions to raise performance and improve the overall customer experience."

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: "From this Sunday, the thousands of passengers who travel with London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will be using services that are owned by the public and run with their interests at heart.

"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.

Ian McConnell, Managing Director of West Midlands Trains, said: "We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing train operators in the country, with millions of passengers travelling on London Northwestern Railway (LNR) and West Midlands Railway (WMR) services every month. 

"We’ve introduced more than 100 new trains as well as upgrading our depots and station facilities. We’re looking forward to opening five brand new stations later this year and we’re also rolling out ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ ticketing across 75 locations to enable seamless tap-in, tap-out travel for our customers.

"Public ownership is an exciting opportunity to build on this success through a strong culture of collaboration and integration with the wider family of publicly owned operators.

"Together, we can drive performance by sharing best practice and accelerating innovation and continue to deliver even better journeys for our passengers across the LNR and WMR networks.

"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."

Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: "Rail connectivity is crucial for businesses across the Black Country. Our businesses depend on these services to reach customers, access talent and connect with partners right across the region.

"Having strong transport links across the West Midlands drives economic prosperity – they attract investment, support job creation and help our communities compete on a regional and national stage."

West Midlands Trains joins Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western Railway, which are currently managed by DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).   

Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) services will be next to transfer on 31 May 2026, marking another significant step in the government’s plans to bring services into public ownership.

Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways services are then expected to follow, with the Secretary of State for Transport due to make final decisions on when exactly this will happen in due course. We expect the full public ownership programme to be completed by the end of 2027.  

With the transfer of West Midlands Trains, 8 out of 14 passenger train operating companies that will run under Great British Railways are now in public ownership.  

West Midlands Trains’ transfer comes as legislation to establish Great British Railways moves through Parliament, paving the way for a simpler, more unified railway that delivers reliable, safe and more affordable journeys for all.