Chiltern Railways, which runs commuter services on the Chiltern mainline between London Marylebone and Birmingham, entered public ownership on Sunday. This makes it the sixth operator to be nationalised under Labour, with four more expected to follow by the end of 2027.
The Department for Transport (DfT) stated that the move aims to deliver more reliable services and address overcrowding. A package of improvements for Chiltern passengers has been promised, including more services and seats, new trains, upgraded stations, and better onboard facilities such as improved Wi-Fi.
From December, 25 additional daily services are planned for the Chiltern network, providing 10,000 extra seats each weekday. This coincides with the rollout of more new trains.
The DfT also indicated that the transfer provides a new opportunity to deliver East West Rail services, which were expected to start last year on a completed section of the Oxford-Cambridge line. However, it remains unclear if a start date for East-West services between Oxford and Milton Keynes is closer following the transfer to state operator DfTO.
The RMT union is scheduled to demonstrate outside London Marylebone station on Monday and is balloting members for strike action concerning plans for driver-only operation, which are supported by the DfT.