Chiltern Railways transfers into public ownership

Chiltern Railways has transferred into public ownership, becoming the sixth train operator to move under government control as part of the programme to bring passenger rail services together ahead of the creation of Great British Railways.

image: Chiltern Railways

The transfer took place on 20 September, with Chiltern now managed by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO), the government-owned organisation responsible for bringing Department for Transport-contracted operators into public ownership.

Chiltern operates services from London Marylebone to destinations including Birmingham, Oxford, Buckinghamshire and the West Midlands. The transfer follows South Western Railway, c2c, Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains and Govia Thameslink Railway, whose services moved into public ownership between May 2025 and May 2026.

The government has said the change will be accompanied by improvements to Chiltern's services. From December, the operator is due to introduce 25 additional weekday services, providing almost 10,000 additional weekday seats. The revised timetable will include a half-hourly daytime service between London and Birmingham on the Chiltern Main Line, alongside additional weekend services.

The programme also includes new trains, station improvements and upgrades to passenger information, accessibility and onboard facilities. The government has linked the move to the future development of Great British Railways and says public ownership will support closer coordination across the railway.

For passengers, the transfer itself does not change existing ticket arrangements, with Chiltern stating that tickets, railcards, season tickets and Delay Repay arrangements remain in place. The operator will continue to operate under the Chiltern Railways brand while the transition towards Great British Railways takes place.

Great Western Railway is scheduled to become the next operator to transfer into public ownership, on 13 December 2026. The government expects all passenger services operating under Department for Transport contracts to be in public ownership by the end of 2027.

DFTO currently brings together ten train operating companies and says its operators deliver more than 930 million passenger journeys a year. The organisation is intended to provide the operating structure ahead of the establishment of Great British Railways.