Chiltern Railways to Join Publicly Owned Network with New Services and Seats

Chiltern Railways is set to become the sixth train operator to be taken into public ownership this weekend, as announced by the Department for Transport. The transition follows similar moves for South Western Railway, c2c, Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains and Govia Thameslink, and is part of the broader Great British Railways plan. From December, the operator will add 25 extra weekday services, including half-hourly connections on the Chiltern Mainline between London and Birmingham, and will introduce six new Chiltern Explorer trains with improved air-conditioning and Wi-Fi.

The DfT also committed to refurbishing all carriages by 2028 with seat-level charging points and expanding parking at Haddenham and Thame Parkway. Interim managing director Tony Baxter highlighted upcoming benefits for passengers across London, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, while Rail Minister Lord Hendy stressed the focus on frequency, comfort and punctuality.