Rail services operating between south Essex and London have transitioned to public ownership for the first time in decades.
c2c, the operator running services connecting Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, was nationalized on Sunday.
The operator is now integrated into Great British Railways, the government-established entity overseeing the rail network across England, Wales, and Scotland.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that passengers had been burdened by “spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste” under the previous system.
The move to allow ministers to reclaim rail companies into public ownership was triggered upon the expiration of existing contracts.
This was made possible by the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, passed by Labour in November.
On Sunday, c2c became the sixth rail operator to be nationalized under the new legislation.
It will be followed by Greater Anglia, which operates services throughout the East of England, on October 12.
Alexander emphasized that public ownership would address “deep-rooted problems” within the rail system.
She added, “A unified network under Great British Railways will further this goal, creating a single railway under one brand with a clear mission: to deliver excellent services for passengers wherever they travel.”
The government anticipates that the nationalization of all rail services in Britain will generate savings of up to £150 million, while also improving service reliability by reducing delays and cancellations.
David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, noted that the change would bring numerous advantages for rail users.
“Passengers can expect a better service in the long term, a more consistent approach to ticketing, and, we hope, continued improvements in punctuality,” he stated.
Conversely, shadow rail minister and Conservative Norfolk MP Jerome Mayhew previously expressed concerns that nationalization could increase costs for taxpayers due to higher leasing expenses for rolling stock.
He argued that the government was “risking” successful rail operations for “ideological reasons.”
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