UK: West Midlands Trains is to transfer to the public sector on February 1 2026, the Department for Transport has confirmed.
This forms part of the government’s ongoing programme to gradually transfer non-devolved passenger operators to state-owned DfT Operator Ltd as the current contracts with private sector expire. South Western Railway was the first to transfer on May 26, followed by c2c on July 20. Greater Anglia will be the next on October 12.
West Midlands Trains is now an 85:15 joint venture of Transport UK and Mitsui & Co, East Japan Railway having sold its previous 15% stake. The franchise began in December 2017 and was to run until March 31 2026, but following the pandemic moved to a directly-awarded National Rail Contract.
Operations are split into two brands: West Midlands Railway operates local and regional services around Birmingham, while London Northwestern Railway runs longer-distance stopping services on the West Coast Main Line from Birmingham to London, Crewe and Liverpool.
Announcing the handover the date on July 28, WMT Managing Director Ian McConnell said ‘I am extremely proud of what we have achieved under this franchise, delivering a £1bn investment in two new train fleets and delivering significantly improved performance which has transformed rail travel for millions of customers. As we transition to a publicly owned railway, our focus remains on delivering an outstanding service for our passengers.’
