London: The UK government will bring Avanti West Coast train services into public ownership from March next year as part of wider plans to reform the country’s rail network.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that the decision follows years of criticism over cancellations, delays and overcrowding affecting passengers. The government remarked that the move is intended to improve reliability, reduce disruption and deliver a better experience for rail users.
Avanti West Coast’s existing contract was due to expire on March 7. The operator, a joint venture between FirstGroup, which holds a 70 percent stake, and Italy’s Trenitalia, which owns the remaining 30 percent, will therefore transfer to public ownership when the current agreement ends.
Tomorrow at @UKLabour Conference, I will announce that we will nationalise Avanti West Coast train services at the first opportunity.
We are building a railway Britain can rely on.https://t.co/mDZjMXlXnY
— Heidi Alexander MP (@Heidi_Labour) September 27, 2026
Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised the operator’s performance, saying passengers had faced cancellations, delays and overcrowding over several years. Avanti West Coast Managing Director Andy Mellors highlighted that the company was proud of its achievements over the past six years, including refurbishing its Pendolino fleet, introducing Evero trains and increasing the number of services. He added that the company would work with the government to ensure a smooth transition while continuing to support passengers and communities.
The announcement follows a decision in May to reduce services on some of Avanti West Coast’s busiest routes after the government asked the operator to cut spending. The company pointed at the time that around one in seven services would be removed, while predicting limited disruption to passengers.
The nationalisation is part of a broader government programme under which train services operating through Department for Transport contracts are being transferred into public ownership. Great Western Railway, also operated by FirstGroup, is scheduled to follow in December.
Several other rail services in the UK are already publicly owned, including Great Anglia and South Western Railway. Rail services in Wales were brought into public ownership in 2021, followed by Scotland’s rail services in 2022.
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