Two
operators


with
National
Rail
Contracts
reached
their
core
expiry
dates
yesterday,
but
they
seem
set
to
remain
in
the
private
sector
for
now.

Greater
Anglia
and
also
West
Midlands
Trains,
which
uses
the
brands
London
Northwestern
and
West
Midlands
Railway,
could
both
theoretically
have
been
terminated,
but
in
practice
the
Government
is
waiting
for
the
Passenger
Railway
Services
(Public
Ownership)
Bill
to
become
law.
It
received
its
Third
Reading
in
the
House
of
Commons
on
3
September,
and
had
its
First
Reading
in
the
House
of
Lords
the
following
day.

The
Second
Reading
in
the
upper
house,
which
includes
a
full
debate,
is
scheduled
for
7
October.

When
law,
this
Bill
will
make
operation
of
the
former
franchises
public
by
default,
and
is
intended
to
pave
the
way
for
the
‘directing
mind’,
Great
British
Railways,
which
was
established
in
shadow
form
by
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh,
also
on
3
September.

Great
British
Railways
will
need
separate
and
more
complex
legislation
so
that
it
can
assume
responsibility
for
the
infrastructure
and
also
take
over
other
functions
from
the
Department
for
Transport,
which
in
future
will
only
set
broad
railway
policy.
The
Bill
to
create
GBR
is
still
at
drafting
stage,
and
has
yet
to
be
presented
to
Parliament.

Both
Greater
Anglia
and
West
Midlands
Trains
are
owned
by
UK
Transport
Group,
which
is
led
by
Dominic
Booth
and
is
the
British
management
buyout
from
the
Dutch
operator
Abellio.
The
next
and
final
expiry
date
for
both
operators
is
20
September
2026,
unless
either
contract
is
extended
or
terminated
early.

Transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
said:
‘For
too
long
our
broken
railways
have
failed
passengers
day
in
day
out
with
delays
and
cancellations.

‘That’s
why
I
am
laser
focused
on
overhauling
the
railways
and
wasting
no
time
in
bringing
train
operating
companies
back
under
public
ownership
where
they
belong.

‘As
soon
as
our
public
ownership
Bill
is
on
the
statute
book,
we
will
be
starting
the
process
of
public
ownership
by
serving
notice
on
these
operators
–
putting
an
end
to
our
wasteful
and
fragmented
privatised
railway
and
delivering
for
passengers.’

The
next
two
operators
facing
termination
are
Arriva’s
Chiltern
Railways
and
Govia
Thameslink
Railway,
which
both
reach
their
core
expiry
dates
on
1
April
2025.