About four in 10 train journeys will be made on services under public control when C2C becomes the latest firm to be renationalised.
C2C, which operates between Fenchurch Street station in London and Shoeburyness in Essex, will be brought under Government control on Sunday.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was another step towards the formation of Great British Railways and tackling “deep-rooted problems” within the industry.
It is unlikely to mean cheaper fares – but could reduce the number of cancelled trains and improve co-ordination of services.
C2c trains call at West Ham, Barking and Upminster in east London and Grays and Southend Central in Essex. The line is used by about three million passengers a month – including about 25,000 a day commuting into the City of London.
According to the latest data, C2C is already one of the most reliable operators, with 79.1 per cent of trains arriving on time between January and March this year.
The firm operates almost 10,000 services a month. Of these, 2.2 per cent were cancelled between January and March – below the national average – with more than six in 10 cancellations being due to problems with Network Rail infrastructure rather than the firm itself.
Greater Anglia, one of the UK’s biggest train firms and frequently the most reliable, will be the next to be renationalised on October 12.
Avanti West Coast will be renationalised next year, according to Trenitalia, which was the parent company of C2C and which owns a stake in the main West Coast Main Line operator.
South Western Railway was the first firm to be renationalised by the Labour government. Prior to its renationalisation programme, Southeastern, London North Eastern Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express were already operated by the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO).
Great British Railways will unite track and train and mean passengers can switch to another publicly-owned operator if services are disrupted.
This will benefit passengers travelling between London and Southend, who will be able to switch between C2C and Greater Anglia trains when the latter is renationalised in October.
It already happens in the North of England, where passengers can switch between Northern and TransPennine Express with just one booking.
Ms Alexander said: “Whether you’re shopping in Lakeside or walking along the beach in Southend-on-Sea, from this Sunday you will be able to get there on a train service run by the public, for the public.
“Public ownership is already tackling deep-rooted problems we see on the railway that’s led to spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste. 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.”
Shoppers heading to Lakeside can travel on C2C to Chafford Hundred station.
Italian firm Trenitalia has run C2C since 2017. It is part of a consortium bidding to run international services between St Pancras and Paris to rival Eurostar.
Rob Mullen, managing director of C2C, said: “We are proud of the reliable and high level of service we offer our passengers, consistently being rated as one of the best performing operators in the country.
“We now have a golden opportunity to collaborate with the wider family of publicly owned operators, sharing our successes and best practice, but also learning from a wide range of different and diverse operators who have already benefited from public ownership, to drive even more improvements for the people and places we all serve.”
The Railways Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament later this year, will enable the establishment of Great British Railways. This means passengers will travel on GBR trains, running on GBR tracks, working to a GBR timetable.
Train firms will have to meet “rigorous performance standards” to earn the right to be called “Great British Railways”. This includes targets on punctuality, cancellations and passenger experience.
