Greater Anglia joins public ownership as half of UK rail operators come under state control. Transfer marks another milestone in the Government’s rail reform plan, with Greater Anglia set to continue its strong performance under Great British Railways.
From Sunday, 12 October 2025, Greater Anglia will transfer to public ownership, becoming the third train operator to do so under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act. The move means that almost 50% of all rail journeys will now be operated by publicly owned companies ahead of the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).
Greater Anglia will continue to operate its regional and intercity services, connecting passengers across East Anglia and into London. The operator, one of the country’s best-performing train companies, will now work more closely with other publicly owned operators to share best practice, drive innovation, and strengthen regional connectivity.
A major step in the Plan for Change
The transition supports the Government’s Plan for Change, which aims to simplify rail operations, improve reliability and accountability, and create a network with passengers at its heart.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“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.
“We’re reforming a fragmented system and laying the foundations for a more reliable, efficient and accountable railway — one that puts passengers first and delivers the high standards they rightly expect.”
Under government ownership, Greater Anglia will continue to support growth across the region. Two new stations — Beaulieu Park, opening this month, and Cambridge South, due early next year — will provide direct rail links to thousands of new homes, schools, and employment areas.
The company’s modern bi-mode train fleet has already transformed services across the Anglia network, offering greater capacity, improved accessibility, and enhanced reliability. Between April 2024 and March 2025, 93.9% of Greater Anglia’s trains arrived within three minutes, making it one of the UK’s most punctual operators.
Building on a record of success
Martin Beable, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, said:
“At Greater Anglia, we’re proud to be one of the highest performing UK train operators in the country, recently recognised with the Passenger Operator of the Year award for the second year running. We’ve introduced new trains on every service, enhanced accessibility across our network, and welcomed more local passengers than ever before — achievements made possible by the dedication of our people.
“Moving into public ownership is an exciting opportunity to build on this success. By working more closely with the wider family of publicly owned operators, we can share expertise, drive innovation, and deliver even better journeys for our passengers across the Anglia region.
“This transition also brings us one step closer to Great British Railways — a simpler, more unified network that puts passengers at its heart.”
Integrated leadership and regional collaboration
Ahead of GBR’s formal establishment, integrated leadership teams are being created across publicly owned operators and Network Rail routes to strengthen local collaboration.
For the Anglia region, Jamie Burles has been appointed Integrated Managing Director (Designate), responsible for coordinating activity between Network Rail Anglia, c2c, and Greater Anglia. He will identify opportunities for closer track-and-train cooperation and lead a unified executive team for the Eastern region.
Business and community support
Local business leaders have welcomed the transition, highlighting its potential to improve regional connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Greater Anglia are one of the UK’s best performing rail operators and we have worked in close collaboration with them for many years — successfully campaigning for new rolling stock and improvements to our local and eastern rail network.
“The Government’s Plan for Change will help deliver high-quality services, facilitate the sharing of expertise across the network, and will boost growth and provide opportunity for our Norfolk communities.”
Stefan Gurney, Executive Director of Norwich BID, added:
“Greater Anglia’s return to public ownership is a boost for Norwich’s connectivity and growth. Reliable, high-quality rail links underpin our ambition to attract visitors, support local talents and drive inward investment.
“Better services will strengthen the visitor economy, increase footfall, and enable businesses across Norwich to thrive.”
A growing network of public operators
Greater Anglia joins c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER, and South Western Railway, all of which are currently operated by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO).
West Midlands Trains will transfer to public ownership on 1 February 2026, followed by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on 31 May 2026. By mid-2026, eight in ten passenger journeys overseen by the Department for Transport will be on publicly owned services.
Further transitions, including Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway, will follow in due course, as final decisions are made by the Secretary of State for Transport.
Passengers are already seeing the benefits: Southeastern and LNER now rank among the top five operators for lowest cancellation rates, while TransPennine Express has improved its performance by 34%. South Western Railway has tripled its new trains in service and introduced ticket acceptance across public operators during disruption, at no extra cost.
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