London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway

Rail network

Press release

London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services return to public ownership

From 1 February 2026, passengers who travel with London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will benefit from reliable and better-connected services.

From:

Department for Transport, DfT Operator Limited and The Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP

Published

30 January 2026

services to return to public ownership this Sunday (1 February 2026), bringing the country one step closer to a simpler, unified rail system under Great British Railways

more than 8,500 publicly owned rail services are now running daily, helping over 660 million passengers get where they need to go each year

these services are powering Britain’s economy, linking people to jobs and education while strengthening local economies across the Midlands and from Liverpool to London

Half of all rail journeys that Great British Railways (GBR) will ultimately be responsible for will be on services run by publicly owned operators from Sunday (1 February 2026), as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services join the fast-growing family of operators owned by the public for the public.

The milestone marks a further step towards creating an integrated rail network that passengers can rely on and be proud of under Great British Railways, which will deliver reliable, safe and more affordable journeys.

This brings the 2 sides of the West Midlands Trains (WMT) business under public ownership: London Northwestern Railway, which operates services between Liverpool and Birmingham and along the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston and West Midlands Railway, which serves destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.

These services power the Midlands’ economy and beyond – connecting people to work, education and op