The government says the transition to a publicly-owned railway will “improve reliability”

A Greater Anglia train (credit Greater Anglia)

Greater Anglia will come back under public ownership on 12th October, the government has confirmed.

The company, which operates trains on the West Anglia Main Line route through eastern Enfield and Haringey, as well as the branch line to Stratford via Lea Bridge in Waltham Forest, will become the third rail operator to be nationalised as part of the Labour government’s pledge to bring the railways back under direct public control.

South Western Railway’s services will be the first to transfer into public ownership later this month, while C2C, which operates services in and around Essex, will next month become the second to be nationalised.

The Department for Transport says the transition to a publicly-owned railway will “improve reliability” and encourage more people to use the railway, although there isn’t expected to be any immediate reduction in ticket prices.

Greater Anglia is the UK’s most punctual train operator and has won multiple awards for its performance.

The rail operator is also the fastest-growing in London and the south-east of England, with 82 million passenger journeys across the network in 2024/25.

The nationalisation of Greater Anglia will not alter train services, timetables and station facilities, with no changes to ticket validities or conditions of carriage. Employees’ roles are also unaffected, as they will all transfer across into the publicly-owned company.

Martin Beable, managing director of Greater Anglia, said: “I am very proud of what we have achieved here in East Anglia over the past thirteen years, significantly improving standards, investing in a complete fleet of new trains, and working closely with the local community.

“As we transition to a publicly owned railway, we remain focussed on delivering outstanding levels of service for our passengers.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.