West Midlands Trains to come under public ownership from February

The company will then become a part of Great British Railways

Author: Rory GannonPublished 29th Jul 2025

West Midlands Trains has announced that it will come under public control officially on February 1st, 2026.

The train service operates both West Midlands Railways and London Northwestern Railway, will officially begin the process of transferring to public ownership.

In a statement, West Midlands Trains' managing director Ian McConnell said that he was "extremely proud" of the move, which will see both services coming under the control of Great British Railways.

He added that the company is "delivering a £1billion investment in two new train fleets and delivering significantly improved performance which has transformed rail travel for millions of customers".

McConnell finished by ensuring that their main focus remains on delivering an "outstanding" service for passengers.

The move was confirmed by the Department for Transport on Monday (July 29th) as part of the government's ongoing plan to absorb private train companies to improve services.

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