Open-access rail firms outperform state operators as Labour pushes nationalisation

According to the Office of Rail and Road, private open-access rail companies are delivering more reliable long-distance services than their state-backed counterparts, with notably lower cancellation rates for operators like Hull Trains and Lumo compared with Avanti West Coast, which is slated for nationalisation. While open-access firms receive a marginally higher number of complaints per 100,000 journeys than contracted services, the flagship state operator LNER also registers a substantial complaint level.

The regulator recently turned down Lumo’s request for a Rochdale-Euston service and a similar bid by Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway, citing capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line, and Grand Central abandoned its Cleethorpes proposal. The government’s rhetoric affirms a role for open-access operators, yet a senior source suggests this stance does not align with the nationalisation agenda. At the Labour conference, transport policy centred on re-nationalising the railways, with figures like Heidi Alexander announcing the upcoming takeover of Avanti’s West Coast services.