The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed today that Great Western Railway (GWR) will be nationalised on December 13 under the Government’s initiative to bring all train operators into public ownership.

The announcement follows the DfT’s unveiling of the first Great British Railway-branded (GBR) train in Brighton. Britain’s largest train operator, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), will join the publicly owned network on May 31, marking the next step in nationalisation. The GBR brand, in red, white and blue, will also appear on the new GBR ticketing app.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “The unveiling of the first GBR‑branded train in Brighton today makes the future of Britain’s railways a reality.

“It represents all of the work being done by staff up and down the country to fundamentally reform our railway.

“This isn’t just a paint job - it’s an important step towards building a more joined‑up, publicly-owned railway that puts passengers first, delivers better services and leaves the frustrations and fragmentation of the past behind.”

From May 31, Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services will enter public ownership. GTR joins West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western, which are currently managed by DfT Operator Limited. Chiltern Railways’ services will transfer on September 20 2026. The full public ownership programme is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

GWR operates trains across the South West of England, including those that run on the Dartmoor Line from Exeter to Okehampton. The Dartmoor Line is set to see a new stop open this summer with the completion of the new Okehampton Interchange Station. Campaigns to extend the line further and complete the route to Plymouth via Tavistock are still ongoing.