The official Government announcement

Press release
Next train services to return to public ownership revealed as government delivers railways reset

West Midlands Trains, Govia Thameslink Railway, Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways set to integrate into Great British Railways.

From:
Department for Transport
Published
26 September 2025

 - schedule set out for West Midlands Trains, Govia Thameslink Railway, Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways to come under public control 
- by the middle of next year, more than half of all rail journeys in Great Britain will be under public ownership
- the government is delivering on its commitment to bring passenger services under public control and put passengers back at the heart of the railway

The next 3 train operating companies whose services will transfer into public ownership, as part of the government’s landmark overhaul of the railways, have been confirmed.

After Greater Anglia’s services transfer on 12 October 2025, West Midlands Trains services will then follow on 1 February 2026, before Govia Thameslink Railway’s services on 31 May 2026, marking another significant step in the government’s plans to bring services into public ownership.

This means by the middle of next year, 8 in 10 passenger rail journeys that the department is responsible for will be owned by the public, for the public.

Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways services are then expected to follow, with the Secretary of State of Transport due to make final decisions on when exactly this will happen in due course.

All passenger services operating under contracts with the department are expected to return to public ownership by the end of 2027 and will eventually be integrated into Great British Railways. Services are being transferred after contracts reach the end of their minimum term, ensuring taxpayers pay no additional costs for breaking contracts early.

Operators must meet rigorous, bespoke standards to earn the right to be called Great British Railways, so we can rebuild a world-class public service.

This confirmation builds on the government’s delivery of the biggest reset of the railways in a generation, which will help to deliver better and more reliable services for passengers.

Legislation to establish Great British Railways, the new public company which will take responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the railways, will be introduced this Parliamentary session.

Publicly owned operating companies Southeastern and LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) are delivering some of the lowest cancellation rates nationally and South Western Railway has tripled the number of new trains in service in the four months since it came under public ownership, offering more comfortable journeys.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed-as-government-delivers-railways-reset

Nothing new - confirmation of Thameslink date is the only new info.

From that press release

The number of new trains was in single digits before the takeover. It's now in the low twenties I believe.

Comfort?

• toilets
• air con
• more carriages

Discomfort

• seat width

Although better than the cramped 2x3 seating of the class 450, the seats are narrower than on the class 455 they replace and you will probably feel the person sitting next to you.

It just confirms what I said on the 175 thread. The 175s will firstly replace the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) in the December timetable change and the 150s are staying.
He didn't say when the hourly Newquay- Par will start but if they can replace the two 150 units that make up the Okehampton service then the Newquay extra trains can run.
No one, because it was a Cornwall show, asked about the 158s going to Bristol replaced by the the 175s to Barnstaple. They need the 158s in Bristol to lengthen the Cardiff-Southampton service.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have 5 three car and 13 two car sets so a combination of 4 car and 5 car sets could be made up.
Exeter will probably need six 3 car turbos from the 57 units they have at Reading and Bristol.