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Chiltern Railways enters public ownership with more Marylebone trains due in December
The operator becomes the tenth under Great British Railways, with 25 extra services a day promised from December and free travel with other companies when a train is cancelled.
Key facts
- Chiltern Railways moved into public ownership on Sunday, 30 years after being privatised in 1996
- Tenth operator to come under Great British Railways, which is due to run the whole passenger network by the close of 2027
- 25 extra services a day from December, which the DfT says is 10,000 more weekday seats
- Cancelled Chiltern train: travel free with another company up to two hours either side of your booking
Chiltern Railways passed into public ownership on Sunday, ending 30 years as a private company and becoming the tenth operator to sit under Great British Railways. Its trains run out of London Marylebone to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and destinations in the West Midlands.
The company was privatised in 1996. The government, which says the public ownership programme will save money and improve services, expects GBR to be running the whole passenger network by the close of 2027. Great Western Railway is next in line, on 13 December.
Extra services from London Marylebone from December
Ministers say the transfer will be used to tackle crowding on the route. From December, 25 additional services a day are planned, which the Department for Transport says works out at 10,000 extra seats on weekdays. The plan includes half-hourly weekday trains between London and Birmingham on the Chiltern Main Line, along with more services at weekends.
Staff at Marylebone were joined on Thursday by the rail minister, Lord Peter Hendy, who was shown the first Chiltern train in Great British Railways livery. He said the shortage of capacity was the hardest problem on the line, and that the extra trains and seats would make a real difference to people travelling from Marylebone every day. “It will not happen overnight, but we will build a railway the country can trust,” he said.
What changes for Chiltern passengers
From Sunday, anyone whose Chiltern train is cancelled can travel with a different operator up to two hours either side of the booked departure at no extra cost. The operator also said the new trains would improve accessibility and bring better Wi-Fi on board.
The first day of public ownership was not a quiet one. With the West Coast Main Line shut at short notice and services at London Euston affected, Chiltern told passengers its Birmingham to Marylebone route would be much busier than normal. The operator laid on additional services between the two cities and raised capacity well above the usual level.
Tony Baxter, Chiltern’s interim managing director, called Sunday “a significant milestone” for the company and said it looked forward to working with the rest of the rail industry.
Key questions
Where do Chiltern Railways trains go from London?
They run from London Marylebone to Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and destinations in the West Midlands.
When do the extra Chiltern services start?
From December, with 25 additional services a day, including half-hourly weekday trains between London and Birmingham on the Chiltern Main Line.
What happens if my Chiltern train is cancelled?
From Sunday you can travel with a different operator up to two hours either side of your booked departure at no extra cost.
Which operator is brought into public ownership next?
Great Western Railway, on 13 December.
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