The fourth former franchise to be renationalised will be West Midlands Trains in February 2026. South Western Railway and c2c have already been transferred from the private sector to the DfT, and Greater Anglia will follow in October.

West Midlands Trains, which is owned by Transport UK Group and Mitsui, has been told by the DfT that its present National Rail Contract will end on 1 February next year.

WMT has been operating under two brands – West Midlands Railway for Birmingham and the surrounding areas, and London Northwestern for longer distance services between Liverpool, Crewe and London Euston, as well as branch lines to Bedford and St Albans Abbey.

WMT managing director Ian McConnell said: ’I am extremely proud of what we have achieved … delivering a £1 billion investment in two new train fleets and delivering significantly improved performance which has transformed rail travel for millions of customers.

‘As we transition to a publicly owned railway, our focus remains on delivering an outstanding service.’

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Readers’ comments

I rather think the main natural divide in Britiish rail operations is between, on the one hand, the natural monopolies with captive markets (commuter/suburban/rural/infrastructure) and those that are within the bounds of being able to compete in a free market (Intercity/freight/ROSCOs). This divide is probably the best indication of the charactaristics that will suit each group. Also, the public sector categories will need a directly elected authority to give accountability within each City region. As for subsidies and charges, the DfT would be better employed in creating a new set of incentiviser subsidies and charges that will encourage operators to take into account the externalities (hidden cost and benefits), leaving ultimate decision making to TOC managers. 

David C. Smith, Bletchley