Chiltern Railways now publicly owned in England
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The British government transferred Chiltern Railways’ services into public ownership on September 20, 2026, bringing the total number of publicly owned English train operators to ten out of fourteen.
A new public sector operator, Chiltern Rail Limited, will run operations as a subsidiary of DfT Operator Limited. The Department for Transport expects this change to improve passenger experience with modern trains and increased service.
The government intends to complete the public ownership of all train operators by the end of 2027. Great Western Railway will transfer on December 13, 2026, and Avanti West Coast on March 7, 2027. This move is part of a larger plan to establish Great British Railways (GBR), a publicly-owned body designed to unify track and train operations and improve accountability to passengers and taxpayers.
DFTO currently manages over 12,000 passenger rail services daily and handles over one billion passenger journeys annually.
