From Sunday, West Midlands Trains services move into public ownership

From Sunday 1 February 2026, train services run under the West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway brands will transfer into public ownership and be managed by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO).

This change affects many routes used in and around Staffordshire, including services stopping at Stafford and Stone, plus wider West Midlands Railway services that connect into the county’s network.

What does “public ownership” mean in practice?

In simple terms, it means the train operator (the company responsible for running day-to-day passenger services) is now run by the government, rather than by a private operator under contract.

It’s worth noting: the tracks and most railway infrastructure are already state-owned (through Network Rail). This change is specifically about who runs the passenger services on these routes.

What changes for passengers in Staffordshire?

For most people, not much changes overnight.

The operator changes behind the scenes, but:

• Tickets already bought remain valid, and services continue to run as normal.

• You’ll still see the West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway brands used for now. The public ownership switch does not automatically mean an immediate rebrand on day one.

Over time, the government says the wider plan is to reduce fragmentation and move towards a more integrated structure under Great British Railways (GBR), which will ultimately be responsible for a large share of passenger journeys.

Which trains and stations does this cover locally?

West Midlands Trains operates services under two main brands:

• London Northwestern Railway: includes services along the West Coast Main Line corridor, including routes connecting Liverpool–Birmingham and services to and from London Euston.

• West Midlands Railway: covers a large network of regional routes across the West Midlands, including services that call at Staffordshire stations.

In Staffordshire, examples of stations served within these networks include:

• Stafford

• Stone (Staffs)

• Rugeley Trent Valley

• Lichfield Trent Valley

(Other operators also serve Staffordshire too, but the public ownership change on Sunday is specifically about services run by West Midlands Trains under the WMR/LNR brands.)

When will rail services be “fully” transferred?

This isn’t a single switch for the whole country. The government’s approach is to bring operators into public ownership as contracts end.

The published programme confirms:

• West Midlands Trains transfers on 1 February 2026

• Govia Thameslink Railway is scheduled to transfer on 31 May 2026

Other operators are expected to follow in stages after that, meaning the “full transfer” is a phased process, not an overnight national takeover.

What outcomes are being expected?

The government position is that public ownership should help deliver a more reliable, passenger-focused system and reduce the complexity of a fragmented model.

At the same time, it’s fair to say that ownership alone won’t fix everything. Day-to-day performance still depends on staffing, rolling stock, timetable resilience and infrastructure constraints. What passengers will mainly notice is whether services become more reliable and disruption is handled better over time.