The UK rail network is set for a major shake-up as services operated by Greater Anglia officially transferred into public ownership on Sunday, 12 October 2025. This move, which forms the backbone of the planned Great British Railways (GBR) system, means that half of all rail operators are now publicly owned.
Greater Anglia is the third operator to enter public ownership under the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, marking a significant step towards a simpler, more unified, and passenger-focused railway.
Foundation for a Reliable, Accountable Railway
The transition is a key part of the government’s wider Plan for Change, which aims to deliver a railway that is more accountable, efficient, and reliable for passengers, ultimately driving growth and opportunity across communities.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “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.”
Greater Anglia, which was recently named Rail Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards 2025, has a strong track record of punctuality, with 93.9% of trains arriving within three minutes between April 2024 and March 2025. Under public ownership, the operator is expected to be used as a benchmark, sharing best practice to drive up standards across the network.
Driving Regional Investment and Connectivity
The transfer will also support regional growth through continued investment, including the opening of two new stations: Beaulieu Park this month and Cambridge South early next year. These projects are expected to support the delivery of thousands of new homes, schools, and employment spaces. Furthermore, the operator’s new fleet of bi-mode trains has already transformed services and provides significant scope to accommodate future demand growth across the region.
Martin Beable, Managing Director, 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. Together, we can create a railway that drives growth, sustainability and pride for the communities we serve and right across the UK.”
Integrated Leadership and Future Transfers
Ahead of the formal establishment of GBR, integrated leadership teams are being set up across publicly owned train operators and Network Rail routes to increase collaboration and accountability. The Anglia region will be led by Jamie Burles, who has been named Integrated Managing Director (Designate) for the Anglia region. His role will be to establish a unified Executive Leadership Team combining Network Rail Anglia, c2c, and Greater Anglia.
Local business leaders have welcomed the shift, anticipating service improvements and economic benefits.
Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of 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. We look forward to continuing to work with Greater Anglia, as they transition into public ownership and deliver the rail connectivity that businesses, residents and visitors alike expect and deserve across our region.”
Greater Anglia joins c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER, and South Western Railway, which are currently operated by DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).
The public ownership programme is set to accelerate, with West Midlands Trains services transferring on 1 February 2026, followed by Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) services on 31 May 2026. By the middle of next year, eight in ten passenger rail journeys overseen by the Department for Transport will be owned by the public. Decisions on Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways services are expected to follow.
Passengers are already seeing tangible benefits from the programme, with Southeastern and LNER among the top five operators nationally for lowest cancellation rates, and TransPennine Express seeing a 34% improvement in its cancellations score. Furthermore, passengers can now use tickets across publicly owned operators during cancellations at no extra cost.
The Greater Anglia transfer comes as legislation to establish Great British Railways (GBR) is expected to be introduced this autumn, marking the next phase of the government’s rail reforms to create a simpler, more unified, and reliable network.
