Overview
- From 02:00 on 1 February, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway transfer to DfT Operator, making West Midlands Trains the fourth company brought into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act.
- More than 3,400 employees and 14 train fleets are moving over, covering regional services across the West Midlands and intercity routes on the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston.
- The government is freezing rail fares and projects savings of up to £150 million a year by removing management fees previously paid to private operators.
- Officials cite Office of Rail and Road data showing publicly owned DfT operators average better punctuality and fewer cancellations than those still in private hands.
- With this handover, 8 of 14 future Great British Railways operators are now public and about half of journeys fall under public operators, with Govia Thameslink Railway set to transfer on 31 May 2026 toward a target completion by end-2027.