Greater Anglia returns to public ownership
Ministers say this decision will help make millions in savings and deliver a more reliable service for passengers
Last updated 12th Oct 2025
The county's train provider is today officially back under public ownership- after over 30 years of being run privately.
Greater Anglia's rail contract was set to expire in September 2026, but that's been brought forward by Ministers.
The operator is consistently rated one of the best performing in the country, especially when it comes it comes to punctual services.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, 93.9% of trains arrived within three minutes of their scheduled arrival time.
It was also named Rail Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards 2025.
Ministers say that Greater Anglia's success will be used as a benchmark for other operators and share best practice and drive up standards across the network.
"We’re reforming a fragmented system"
Heidi Alexander is the Transport Secretary:
“From this Sunday, passengers commuting into Norwich or heading for a day out in Cambridge will be travelling on services that are owned by the public, and run with their interests front of mind.
“We’re reforming a fragmented system and laying the foundations for a more reliable, efficient and accountable railway - one that puts passengers first and delivers the high standards they rightly expect.”
Martin Beable, Managing Director, Greater Anglia said:
“At Greater Anglia, we’re proud to be one of the highest performing UK train operators in the country, recently recognised with the Passenger Operator of the Year award for the second year running.
We’ve introduced new trains on every service, enhanced accessibility across our network, and welcomed more local passengers than ever before - achievements made possible by the dedication of our people.
“Moving into public ownership is an exciting opportunity to build on this success. By working more closely with the wider family of publicly owned operators, we can share expertise, drive innovation, and deliver even better journeys for our passengers across the Anglia region.
“This transition also brings us one step closer to Great British Railways - a simpler, more unified network that puts passengers at its heart. Together, we can create a railway that drives growth, sustainability, and pride for the communities we serve and right across the UK.”
What's the plan after Sunday?
The Government is hoping to create a state owned company called 'Great British Railways' (GBR) by 2027.
This body will operate most of the UK's rail infrastructure and passenger services, under one banner.
Ahead of the establishment of GBR, integrated leadership teams are being set up across publicly owned train operators and Network Rail routes, to increase collaboration and accountability, delivering improvements for passengers and freight users.
The Anglia region will be led by Jamie Burles, who has been named Integrated Managing Director (Designate) for the Anglia region.
He will be tasked with identifying opportunities for track and train join up and establishing a unified single Executive Leadership Team bringing together Network Rail Anglia, c2c, and Greater Anglia across the Eastern region.