Half of rail operators will be publicly owned from next week, forming the backbone of improved passenger services under Great British Railways (GBR), when services operated by Greater Anglia transfer on Sunday (12 October).
Greater Anglia’s services will become the third to enter public ownership under the Government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, marking another step towards a simpler, more unified railway under GBR.
The operator is consistently rated one of the best performing in the country, and will continue to thrive under public ownership – engaging closely with local communities, sharing best practice with other public sector operators and working towards a better railway with passengers at its heart.
This move is part of the Government’s wider Plan for Change – delivering a railway that is more accountable, efficient, and reliable for passengers – resulting in greater opportunities for communities and significant growth.
Through a phased programme of public ownership and the creation of Great British Railways, the Government is fundamentally reforming how our railways are run, putting passengers first.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“From this Sunday, passengers commuting into Norwich or heading for a day out in Cambridge will be travelling on services that are owned by the public, and run with their interests front of mind.
“We’re reforming a fragmented system and laying the foundations for a more reliable, efficient and accountable railway – one that puts passengers first and delivers the high standards they rightly expect.”
With Government support, Greater Anglia will continue to deliver regional growth with two new stations opening – Beaulieu Park this month and Cambridge South early next year – which will support the delivery of thousands of new homes, as well as schools and employment space.
Greater Anglia’s new fleet of bi-mode trains have also transformed services for passengers and provide significant scope to accommodate growth in demand across the region in future years.
The operator has built up a strong track record of running punctual services, with 93.9% of trains arriving within three minutes between April 2024 and March 2025.
Under public ownership, Greater Anglia, which was last week named Rail Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards 2025, will be used as a benchmark for other operators and share best practice and drive up standards across the network as part of the Plan for Change.
