London, 14 October 2025 — At the weekend, Greater Anglia (GA) — one of Britain’s most successful rail operators — transferred to public ownership, under the government’s plan to renationalise passenger rail.

The move marks the end of a successful chapter under Transport UK’s stewardship, during which GA became the UK’s highest-performing railway. As GA transitions to public ownership, Transport UK looks ahead, applying its proven model to new markets while continuing to operate West Midlands Trains, East Midlands Railway, Merseyrail, and 11% of London’s bus network.

Greater Anglia itself was recognised as Operator of the Year for three of the past four years at the UK National Rail Awards, including in 2025. It achieved 94% punctuality, introduced £800 million of privately financed new trains, and helped to deliver £1.5 billion of investment upgrades for passengers and the region.

The operator has been widely praised by passengers and MPs for transforming services — introducing new direct routes such as Norwich–Cambridge, increasing frequency on the Stansted Airport service, and maintaining one of the best customer satisfaction records in the country. It even returned £100 million to His Majesty’s Treasury in 2024, one of the few UK operators to do so.

What now?

• Will renationalisation improve service quality, lower fares, or sustain investment?
• What measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will define success — and by when?
• And in today’s fiscal climate, will sufficient government funding be available to maintain the standards that passengers have come to expect?

 Passengers deserve certainty that progress will continue.