Greater Anglia to move into public ownership as half of England’s rail operators nationalised

Greater Anglia’s train services will transfer to public ownership on Sunday, 12 October 2025, as part of the government’s continuing rail reforms under the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).

The move means that from next week, around half of England’s rail operators – responsible for almost 50% of all passenger journeys – will be publicly owned. Greater Anglia becomes the third operator to move into public hands under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, joining c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western Railway, all managed by DfT Operator Ltd.

The operator, which serves routes between London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, is among the country’s highest performing. Between April 2024 and March 2025, 93.9% of its trains arrived within three minutes of schedule, and it was recently named Rail Operator of the Year at the 2025 National Transport Awards.

Under public ownership, Greater Anglia will continue to operate as usual, but with a greater focus on collaboration and sharing expertise across the network. The change is part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to simplify the rail system and deliver a more efficient, reliable and accountable service for passengers.

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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the transfer marked “a major milestone” in creating a more unified network.

“From this Sunday, passengers commuting into Norwich or heading for a day out in Cambridge will be travelling on services that are owned by the public and run with their interests front of mind,” she said. “We’re reforming a fragmented system and laying the foundations for a more reliable, efficient and accountable railway.”

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Greater Anglia will also play a key role in regional development, with two new stations – Beaulieu Park, due to open later this month, and Cambridge South, set to open early next year – expected to support thousands of new homes, schools and jobs. The company’s bi-mode trains, introduced in recent years, have modernised services and expanded capacity across the network.

Managing Director Martin Beable said: “Moving into public ownership is an exciting opportunity to build on our success. By working closely with other publicly owned operators, we can share expertise, drive innovation and deliver even better journeys for our passengers.”

The Anglia region will be overseen by Jamie Burles, appointed as Integrated Managing Director (Designate), who will lead joint operations between Greater Anglia, Network Rail Anglia and c2c to improve coordination and performance.

Business leaders in the East of England have welcomed the transition. Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said it would “boost growth and provide opportunities for Norfolk communities,” while Stefan Gurney, Executive Director of Norwich BID, described it as “a boost for Norwich’s connectivity and growth.”

Further transfers are planned for West Midlands Trains in February 2026 and Govia Thameslink Railway in May 2026. By mid-2026, the Department for Transport expects that eight in ten passenger rail journeys will be operated by publicly owned companies, ahead of legislation to formally establish Great British Railways later this year.