London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway have become publicly owned in the UK, bringing the country one step closer to a simpler, unified rail system under the umbrella of Great British Railways.
Through this move, the two components of West Midlands Trains (WMT) are becoming publicly owned: London Northwestern Railway, which operates services between Liverpool and Birmingham and along the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston, and West Midlands Railway, which serves destinations throughout the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
These services support the economy of the Midlands and beyond, connecting people to jobs, education, and opportunities every day. Better connections mean more homes built, more jobs created, and stronger local economies, from Liverpool to London and across the West Midlands.
The thousands of passengers who travel with London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway will use publicly owned services, with their interests in mind. We are working hard to reform a fragmented system and deliver a reliable railway that revitalises communities, rebuilds passenger confidence and delivers the high standards they rightly expect,” said Transport Minister Heidi Alexander.
West Midlands Trains is the fourth operator to become publicly owned under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, marking a new step towards a simpler and more unified railway under Great British Railways (GBR) and coinciding with the government’s decision to freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years.
GBR will constantly monitor the response to passenger needs. With responsibility for coordinating the entire network, from infrastructure and trains to costs and revenues, GBR will ensure sustainable change and build a railway fit for the future of Britain, publicly owned, for the public.
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