Labour nationalises second train company
It had been controlled by Italy's state-owned rail company Trenitalia since 2017.
DfT (Department for Transport) Operator, which manages services under public control on behalf of the UK Government, said tickets previously purchased will remain valid.
It added that fares are 'not changing as a direct result of the transfer'.
The overall passenger satisfaction rating for c2c was 89% in the most recent research by watchdog Transport Focus.
This was the joint sixth best performance out of 22 operators.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Whether you're shopping in Lakeside or walking along the beach in Southend-on-Sea, from today you will be able to get there on a train service run by the public, for the public.
'Public ownership is already tackling deep-rooted problems we see on the railway that's led to spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste.
'A unified network under Great British Railways will take this further with one railway under one brand with one mission – delivering excellent services for passengers wherever they travel.'
GBR is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain's rail infrastructure and train operation.
Ernesto Sicilia, managing director at Trenitalia UK, said: 'As the franchise moves to public ownership, we acknowledge both the progress made and the ongoing challenges of unifying a fragmented rail industry.
'In the meantime, we will continue to support and deliver services on the Avanti West Coast franchise until it too transitions to public ownership in 2026.
'While our role as operator is ending, our dedication to sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and fostering collaboration remains unchanged.
'We recognise that building a resilient and integrated rail network takes time and Trenitalia is determined to play a constructive part in that journey.'
South Western Railway became the first operator brought into public ownership by the Labour Government in May.
It joined Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern and LNER, which were nationalised under the Conservative government because of performance failings by the former owners of those franchises.
The next operator to be nationalised will be Greater Anglia on October 12.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Surrey County Council heading to a financial 'cliff's edge'
A council in Surrey could be pushed to the brink of financial crisis if government reforms go ahead, aimed at evening out local authority funding, its leader has Oliver said Surrey County Council could be heading towards a "cliff edge" under proposals which could dramatically reduce its government is looking at scrapping the current council tax funding model in favour of a national 100% "equaliser" system where each local authority gets the same amount of council leader Mr Oliver's warning came during a cabinet meeting, where he suggested the government's Fair Funding Review would hit Surrey harder than most councils due to its higher council tax base. Mr Oliver said: "There is an expectation we will look to our residents to fill that gap. "That gap won't be filled- can't be filled- even if we were to increase council tax by 5%."Currently, Surrey has a high council tax base, meaning it has more band H houses, paying at least £3,692.70 in 2025, compared to other parts of the funding reforms under consideration could flatten out this advantage by reallocating resources away from wealthier counties like Surrey and towards lower-income authorities, according to Local Democracy Reporting Oliver said: "It's absolutely essential that we drive efficiencies wherever possible."A government statement on the Fair Funding Review said: "Our reforms will take into account the different needs and costs faced by communities across the country, including adjusting for the costs of remoteness faced by rural communities, and the ability of individual local authorities to raise council tax, while also resetting business rates income."It will update the crucial formulae used to calculate funding allocations, which are a decade out of date."
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Blue Badge holders will soon be able to park in new location after rule change
The Department for Transport has issued an update on the use of Blue Badges in Europe, meaning UK drivers with a disability can use their parking permits abroad Blue Badge holders might soon be able to use their permits abroad, thanks to a proposed overhaul by the Labour Party government. The Department for Transport has refreshed its guidance just in time for the peak of the summer holiday rush this week. The latest word from Labour gives the green light for UK drivers with disability parking permits to be welcomed in over 25 European nations. This could spell good news for approximately 2.8 million Blue Badge holders planning a jaunt overseas. Countries rolling out the scheme for Brits include Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden, all giving the thumbs up to the badges. Switzerland is also on board, though it asks visitors to pair the badge with a parking clock when they park up. Denmark is happy to accept British Blue Badges but insists on the use of a parking disc, while Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Romania are open to parking cards from outside the EU as well, although France may turn up its nose at non-EU permits, reports Birmingham Live. The DfT advised: "We recommend that you carry any supporting documentation that may be required, such as a doctor's note or a translation of your Blue Badge, especially when travelling to countries with stricter parking rules." When it comes to Spain, UK Blue Badge recognition is a local affair, says the DfT. Those with disabilities have the opportunity to snag, renew, or hold special driving licences based on necessary adaptations, restrictions, or other conditions related to individuals, vehicles, or traffic situations. Drivers from other nations, navigating Spanish roads, must adhere to the stipulations outlined in their driving licences, Spain asserts. The statement said: "Wheelchair users, People with walking difficulty, People with vision impairment, People with mental health issues, learning disabilities. "The parking card is granted to people for which an impossibility to perform by themselves a number of basic vital tasks has been certified. Please note that parking cards might be granted to people with no driver license." Parking concessions differ in each country, the DfT notes, with information accessible via parking card for people with disabilities in the European Union, and the FIA guide for the disabled traveller: using parking permits, cards and placards in the EU and EEA. Once official, this will make it easier for people with or without visible disabilities to park in places close to where they are, without having to worry about finding suitable parking.
Spectator
6 hours ago
- Spectator
The BMA should be careful what it wishes for
Just a few weeks ago the trade union movement seemed to be on a high. It has got rid of its hated Tory government. Legislation which made it harder to call strikes had been hastily abolished by the incoming Starmer government. There were generous public sector pay rises all around. If you were a trade union leader, you had every right to feel pleased with yourself. How things can change. As a trade union leader, you really don't want a Labour health secretary calling your actions 'unconscionable', and suggesting that your members must 'feel pain' in order to discourage other unions from striking too. A Conservative health secretary, sure, but a Labour government is supposed to be on your side. Declare war on Labour and the result, as in 1979, is likely to be a government which is rather less to your taste. Surely it must have dawned on the BMA's trots that a Starmer government is as amenable an administration they're likely to get. They might, at a scrape, get Angela Rayner as PM who could, perhaps, loosen the purse strings on public sector pay just a little bit more. But they are not going to get a red-blooded socialist government which seizes the means of production and turns it over to the workers. Far more likely after Starmer is a right-leaning government which will want to clip the unions' wings. What was the unions' prize for helping to bring down the Callaghan government? Thatcher and the 1980 Employment Act which banned secondary picketing, brought the end of the closed shop, and imposed secret ballots on strike votes. It has taken 40 years for the unions to re-acquire anything like the power they had in 1979. The unions have had an incredible deal out of the first year of Starmer's Labour – far better than anything they got out of Blair. Its early public sector pay deals totally ignored the grim fiscal situation – even while Rachel Reeves was bleating about a £22 billion black hole and chopping back the winter fuel payment. Streeting followed up last year's 22 per cent pay rise for resident doctors with an inflation-busting 5.4 per cent this year, which was about as far as he could possibly go without being totally fiscally irresponsible. On top of that, he offered to look at wiping some medical graduates' student debt, providing they continued to work in the NHS. Yet still the BMA has gone ahead with a strike which is as long as any it held under the Conservatives. If the BMA's current behaviour is its way of showing gratitude, it is weird way of going about it. Its strategy looks like a death wish.
