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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Bill Bowkett

Greater Anglia set to be nationalised in October in effort to save £150 million as Labour vows to fix railways

Greater Anglia, the main operator for rails services originating from and terminating at Liverpool Street station, will be nationalised later this year.

The company, which runs trains across the East of England and into London’s busiest station, announced on Friday it would be brought under public ownership on October 12.

Martin Beable, the company's managing director, said the firm would "remain focused" on delivering its services.

He also confirmed that timetables for the East Coast Mainline, station facilities and job roles would be unaffected by the transition, with no changes to ticket validities or conditions of carriage.

Greater Anglia runs trains across the East of England and into Liverpool Street (Greater Anglia)

Mr Beable said: “I am very proud of what we have achieved here in East Anglia over the past thirteen years, significantly improving standards, investing in a complete fleet of new trains, and working closely with the local community.

"As we transition to a publicly owned railway, we remain focussed on delivering outstanding levels of service for our passengers."

Founded in 2012 when Dutch transportation giant Abellio took over the franchise from National Express, Greater Anglia runs trains throughout Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

It also provides fast and frequent trains to Stansted and Southend Airports via Stratford station.

Greater Anglia is the fastest-growing train operator in London and the South East, with its fleet of 190 trains carrying 82 million passengers 2024/25.

Bringing services into public ownership will deliver the best value for taxpayers

Department for Transport

Labour claims nationalising all rail services in Britain would bring savings of up to £150 million, and it hoped the move would clamp down on delays and cancellations.

The government is also planning to set up a state-owned body, Great British Railways, to take over service contracts held by private firms as they expire in the coming years.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Bringing services into public ownership will enable us to join up track and train and deliver the best value for taxpayers in the longer term.

"We're working closely with operators to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for passengers."

South Western Railway, which primarily operates out of London Waterloo, and c2c, which terminate at Fenchurch Street, will also be nationalised in May and July, respectively.

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