Avanti West Coast services to be nationalised as Transport Secretary insists 'customers will see a difference'
Train operators are gradually being transferred into public ownership as their contracts come to an end, with the aim of improving the railway infrastructure
Avanti West Coast will be brought into public ownership from March next year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced.
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The Government said the move is intended to improve the railway's infrastructure, reduce delays and improve passengers' experience.
Avanti's services are among the most overcrowded in the UK, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly criticised the operator over cancellations and high ticket prices.
A peak-time return ticket from Manchester to London can cost as much as £370.
Ms Alexander said: “For years, we’ve heard stories of Avanti underperforming, with passengers left paying the price. Enough is enough.”
“That is why we will bring Avanti into public ownership at the earliest opportunity, in March next year.”
“This Labour Government is committed to putting essential services back in public hands, connecting people to opportunity and delivering growth in every postcode and this move reflects that commitment.
Coming ahead of the end of Avanti West Coast's current contract, the decision is due to take effect when it expires on March 7.
The operator recorded the highest proportion of cancellations in Britain this summer, with its cancellation rate reaching twice the national average.
Train operators are gradually being brought into public ownership as their contracts expire, with state-controlled Great British Railways expected to take full control by 2027.
The move will mean the majority of passenger services are operated under public ownership and control.
Once Avanti is nationalised, CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway will be among the remaining operators yet to be brought under public ownership.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Northern, Southeastern and TransPennine Express were already nationalised after Labour came to power in 2024.
Some operators have reported improvements since being brought into public ownership. LNER, which runs services between London and Edinburgh, has reduced cancellations and improved punctuality, while other services have seen their performance decline.
The Transport Secretary said the London to Manchester service “hasn’t been good enough for far too long now” and vowed passengers would “start to see a difference” under public ownership, she told The Times.
“This is about creating a publicly owned organisation that better integrates the management of the tracks and the trains so that we get rid of the perverse incentives and this blame factory that has existed for the last few decades.”
