Second train company nationalised and returned to public ownership
Great British Railways is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain’s rail infrastructure and train operation
A second train operator has been brought under public ownership by the Labour Government, with c2c, which runs services between London Fenchurch Street and south Essex, completing its nationalisation on Sunday.
The company had been controlled by Italy’s state-owned rail firm, Trenitalia, since 2017.
The Department for Transport (DfT) Operator, now managing the services, confirmed that previously purchased tickets will remain valid and fares are not changing as a direct result of the transfer.
The move comes as c2c boasts a strong passenger satisfaction record, achieving an 89 per cent rating in the latest Transport Focus research. This placed it as the joint sixth best performer among 22 operators.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Whether you’re shopping in Lakeside or walking along the beach in Southend-on-Sea, from today you will be able to get there on a train service run by the public, for the public.
“Public ownership is already tackling deep-rooted problems we see on the railway that’s led to spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste.
“A unified network under Great British Railways will take this further with one railway under one brand with one mission – delivering excellent services for passengers wherever they travel.”
Ernesto Sicilia, managing director at Trenitalia UK, said: “As the franchise moves to public ownership, we acknowledge both the progress made and the ongoing challenges of unifying a fragmented rail industry.
“In the meantime, we will continue to support and deliver services on the Avanti West Coast franchise until it too transitions to public ownership in 2026.
“While our role as operator is ending, our dedication to sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and fostering collaboration remains unchanged.
“We recognise that building a resilient and integrated rail network takes time and Trenitalia is determined to play a constructive part in that journey.”
South Western Railway became the first operator brought into public ownership by the Labour Government in May.
It joined Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern and LNER, which were nationalised under the Conservative government because of performance failings by the former owners of those franchises.
The next operator to be nationalised will be Greater Anglia on October 12.