The government has set a date for the nationalisation of Great Western Railway (GWR), with services to be taken into public ownership from 13 December, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. This will make GWR the 11th operator with a government contract to be brought under state control.
Background and Impact
GWR connects Paddington in west London with south and south-west England and south Wales. Following this move, only three operators will remain in private ownership: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, and East Midlands Railway.
A DfT spokesperson said: "This is another significant moment for the Government’s flagship public ownership programme and brings a simpler, more reliable network under Great British Railways a step closer. The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring services back into public ownership and put passengers, not shareholders, at the heart of our railways."
Government Vision for Great British Railways
Ministers have previously stated that their plans for the publicly owned Great British Railways aim to deliver better value for passengers. These plans include modernising ticketing with tap-in, tap-out, and digital options, alongside investing in superfast wifi. GBR trains, websites, and stations will also receive new branding in the coming months.
The major train operators brought under state control have, until now, retained their old owners’ branding. The new red, white, and blue design was inspired by the Union flag and developed internally to maximise value for money.
Nationalisation Timeline
The process of nationalising England’s trains began in 2024 with the passing of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, which allowed the government to take over rail contracts without penalty. South Western Railway was the first major operator brought under state control in May 2025, followed by c2c (which runs between London and Essex) and Greater Anglia (which operates in the East of England).
In February, the halfway point was marked in the creation of Great British Railways, as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway, both franchises of West Midlands Trains (WMT), became the latest operators to be moved into public ownership. The government said that half of all railway journeys that the new body will be responsible for were now running publicly. Govia Thameslink Railway is the next company to move to state ownership, on 31 May.
