Chiltern Railways becomes sixth operator taken into public ownership as Labour promises 25 extra daily trains

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026 · last updated 21 September 2026.

Chiltern Railways moved into public ownership on Sunday, becoming the sixth train operator nationalised under Labour's Great British Railways programme after 30 years in private hands since 1996. A December timetable change will add 25 extra weekday services and nearly 10,000 additional seats to tackle overcrowding on routes between London and Birmingham. Six new Chiltern Explorer trains will enter service that month, completing a fleet of 13, while a £12 million refurbishment of the existing seven Class 168 trains will continue through to 2028. Great Western Railway is next in line for public ownership on 13 December.

From December, half-hourly weekday trains will run the full length of the Chiltern Main Line between London Marylebone and Birmingham.

Passengers whose trains are cancelled can now use their ticket on other operators' services at no extra charge, effective from the transfer date.

Great British Railways will bring infrastructure and services together under one public body — an arrangement unseen since privatisation in the mid-1990s — with all transfers due to complete by end of 2027.