Great Western Coffee Shop

Rail services between south Essex and London have become publicly owned for the first time since the 20th century.

Operator c2c, which runs services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, was nationalised on Sunday.
It became part of Great British Railways, set up by the government to oversee the rail system in England, Wales and Scotland.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers had been suffering "spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste".

Ministers have been allowed to take rail companies back into public ownership when their existing contracts expired.

Alexander said public ownership would tackle "deep-rooted problems" experienced on the railway.

She added: "A unified network under Great British Railways will take this further with one railway under one brand with one mission: delivering excellent services for passengers wherever they travel."

The government hoped nationalisation of all services in Britain would bring savings of up to £150m, while also reducing delays and cancellations.

David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, said it would bring a host of benefits for passengers.

"What they will notice in the longer-term is a better service, a more consistent level of ticketing and hopefully a continued improvement in punctuality," he added.

However, shadow rail minister and Conservative Norfolk MP Jerome Mayhew previously said he feared nationalisation would end up costing taxpayers more money in increased costs for leasing rolling stock.

He said the government was "risking" successful operations for "ideological reasons".

C2C nationalised - as reported on The BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gd48kz792o)


Opinions vary as to the benefits ...

Rail firms brought under single leadership team

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/2b84/live/23cde420-4ee1-11f1-88a2-2b60a3feece0.jpg.webp)
c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia will have a single leadership team - Image © c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia

Railway firms in the East of England have been aligned under one leadership team as part of the government's nationalisation project.

Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia said the new structure would help deliver more reliable rail journeys for passengers.

The two operators serve passengers in London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, while Network Rail Anglia looks after the infrastructure.

"This is all part of our mission to build a passenger-focused railway that supports jobs, growth and homes," said Rail Minister Lord Hendy.

Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said the leadership team meant his firm could "plan better, respond faster".

"Over time, that means better co-ordination during disruption, more effective planning of engineering work and a more consistent experience for customers and communities across the region," said Burles.

The government said the move mirrored the approach taken by publicly-owned South Eastern Railway and South Western Railway. There would be no immediate changes to services, branding or the way customers travelled, a spokesperson said.

The government has promised to take ownership of all rail operators by October 2027, under the umbrella of Great British Railways. Greater Anglia and c2c were among the first to be brought under its control.

Alexander also clarified on the BBC that nationalisation won't bring lower fares, given the amount of taxpayer subsidy still being ploughed into the railways.

What will stop is tax payers money paying the bubbly and canopies at the share holders meeting  Grin

What will stop is tax payers money paying the bubbly and canopies at the share holders meeting  ;D