Avanti West Coast is being brought back under public ownership, with the Prime Minister declaring "enough is enough" after years of cancellations and delays on the key route from Manchester to the capital.
Andy Burnham, in his former role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, was heavily critical of the operator. The service will come into public ownership when the firm's contract expires in March next year.
Government plan to improve infrastructure
The Government said that nationalisation will be supported by a plan to improve infrastructure, reduce delays and improve passenger experience.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: "Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti's cancellations, delays, overcrowding and a service that has failed them time and time again."
Passengers before shareholders
He added: "That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first. More investment, fewer delays and a renewed focus on getting the basics right. We're putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for people who use it."
Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: "We're proud of what we've achieved over the last six years – from refurbishing our Pendolino fleet and introducing our new Evero trains to running more services than ever before.
"Together, these improvements have given customers greater choice, more capacity and better connectivity, while we've continued to innovate to shape the future of the West Coast and wider rail industry.
"Over the coming months, we'll work closely with the government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities."
