The renationalisation of Chiltern Railways will provide ‘a fresh opportunity to deliver East West Rail and its benefits for passengers’, according to the Government.

Chiltern will be controlled by DfT Operator from 02.00 on Sunday, and it has already been nominated as the future operator of East West Rail.

However, although the reconstructed section beween Bicester and Bletchley has been able to carry scheduled services for the past two years, a dispute with the RMT has prevented trains running, with the exception of special journeys, charters and freight trains.

The RMT is opposing plans for drivers to be in charge of dispatching trains, and wants a second safety critical member of staff to be on every service. Its members are being balloted for a strike, and the union is planning to stage a demonstration outside Marylebone station in London on Monday.

Meanwhile, Monday will be the first full day of nationalisation for Chiltern, and the Government says there will be another 25 daily trains from December. It is promising cleaner stations, upgraded trains and better WiFi. Six more Chiltern Explorer trains are also due to enter service in December, completing a fleet of 13.

Chiltern Railways will become the sixth operator to be transferred to public ownership.

Rail minister Lord Hendy said: ‘From this Sunday, Chiltern Railways passengers will be travelling on rail services back in public hands. Every transfer into public ownership gives us the chance to tackle the bread-and-butter issues people care about – more frequent, comfortable trains that turn up on time.

‘As we set up Great British Railways, we’re putting passengers first. It will not happen overnight, but we will build a railway the country can trust and rely on and that will create growth, jobs and homes.’

After Chiltern, the last private sector operator to be renationalised this year will be Great Western Railway, on 13 December. Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway are due to be renationalised in 2027.

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