Greater Anglia’s train services transfer to public ownership today, Sunday October 12th, continuing to connect Cambridgeshire with other parts of the Eastern region and with London.
This is part of Labour’s Plan for Change and is uniting train and track under one organisation: Great British Railways (GBR).
Daniel Zeichner MP for Cambridge said:
“I am thrilled that Greater Anglia is back in public ownership. We expect high performing operations, such as those on the Greater Anglia route, to continue delivering for passengers, and to set an example for others to follow.
“In May we take back Thameslink (includes Great Northern) with Cross Country joining the GBR family in 2027. That people have had to deal with these different operators just in our area shows how unnecessarily complex train travel has been.
“Passengers will once again simply be able to use ‘the railway’. You will travel on GBR trains, running on GBR tracks, and working to a GBR timetable — all run by a single body focused on your interests. That will mean fewer delays, simpler ticketing, and a timetable that better serves your needs.
“The Government will introduce legislation this year to overhaul the railway, and create Great British Railways as a new public company to bring both track and train together. It will have the independence it needs to deliver improvements to rail services.
“All this is being done without the taxpayer having to fork out for compensation to private operators. We simply don’t renew the privatised contracts.”
Councillor Anna Smith, Cambridge City Council Cabinet Member for Communities, and former mayoral transport lead for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, continued:
“This is part of Labour’s programme to run public transport for the public good. Rather than focus on shareholders, we will focus on what’s best for passengers. In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Labour has already kicked off the move to bring our buses back under public control and I am proud, as former Deputy Mayor, to be part of that.
“Now we take back control of the Greater Anglia train network. Train operators will have to meet rigorous standards, so we can build a world class public service. Labour is updating the fares and ticketing system so that passengers can trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare.”
Councillor Katie Thornburrow, Cambridge City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport, explained:
“By bringing together the teams that run trains and manage the tracks, we can plan smarter, and deliver an overall better experience.
“With Government support, Greater Anglia will continue to enable regional growth and I’m excited that we’ll soon have Cambridge South station adding to public transport options in Cambridge and for many nearby villages.
“Almost 50% of rail passenger journeys that the Department of Transport is responsible for — and that Great British Railways will ultimately run — are now publicly owned, marking another step towards GBR. By the middle of next year, this will rise to 8 out of 10 rail passenger journeys.”
Councillor Mike Black, Labour’s County Council spokesperson for Environment and Green Investment, added:
“I am celebrating the latest step in reversing the disastrous Conservative privatisation of the railways. Polling shows widespread support for returning our railways to the public.
“Once all services have transferred, it will save taxpayers an estimated £150m a year in fees currently paid to private operators.
“When GBR is fully operational, it should save over £2billion a year through more efficient operations, getting rid of bidding costs, and removing payouts to shareholders. Instead, every penny can be spent for the benefit of passengers.”