Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Transfer of Chiltern Railways’ Services into Public Ownership

13 October 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Heidi Alexander Lab Lewisham East

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Heidi Alexander raised concerns about transfer of chiltern railways’ services into public ownership in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Chiltern Railways' services transferred into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act on Sunday 20 September 2026.
  • Ten out of fourteen train operators are now in public ownership, with the Department for Transport (DFTO) delivering over 1 billion passenger rail journeys annually.
  • The public ownership programme is scheduled to conclude by the end of 2027, with Great Western Railway and Avanti West Coast set to transfer in December 2026 and March 2027 respectively.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Heidi Alexander Lab Lewisham East

On Sunday 20 September 2026, Chiltern Railways' services transferred into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act. Currently, 10 out of 14 train operators are in public ownership, with DFTO running over 12,000 passenger rail services a day and delivering over 1 billion passenger rail journeys annually. The public ownership programme is set to complete by the end of 2027, with Great Western Railway and Avanti West Coast services transferring on 13 December 2026 and 7 March 2027 respectively. Public ownership ensures Britain’s railways are owned by the public for the public, prioritising passengers, customers, and taxpayers. The Railways Bill aims to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly-owned body responsible for maintaining and improving the railways, ensuring reliability and promoting growth, jobs, and homes.

Other contributors (1)
  • Heidi Alexander Lab Lewisham East

    Chiltern Railways' services were transferred into public ownership on Sunday 20 September 2026. Operations are now run by Chiltern Rail Limited, a subsidiary of DFTO. With Chiltern's public ownership, 10 of the 14 train operators are now in public ownership, delivering over 1 billion passenger rail journeys annually. The public ownership programme remains on track with Great Western Railway and Avanti West Coast services scheduled for transfer in December 2026 and March 2027 respectively. Public ownership prioritises passengers and customers, and GBR will ensure the railways are reliable and accountable to the public.

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