Why trains could soon be publicly owned once again

• Transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that new trains could be directly owned by the state under Great British Railways to lower costs and better serve taxpayers.
• The Government's forthcoming Rolling Stock and Infrastructure strategy will adopt a case-by-case approach to future train procurements, evaluating private investment, leasing, and public ownership options.
• Alexander highlighted that franchised train operating companies spent over £4 billion in 2024 leasing and maintaining trains from rolling stock companies, accounting for roughly a third of daily running costs.
• By exploring direct public ownership of trains, the Government aims to eliminate extra financing, transaction, and investment return costs currently borne by passengers and taxpayers.
• The proposed strategy follows the Government's decision to nationalise Avanti West Coast services in March next year after years of underperformance left passengers paying the price.