North London rail operator set to be nationalised this weekend

Govia Thameslink Railway operates Great Northern and Thameslink services through Enfield, Barnet and Haringey

A Great Northern train arrives at New Barnet Station

The UK’s largest train operating company – which runs services on several routes in North London – will be officially nationalised this weekend.

Responsible for one-in-six passenger rail journeys in Britain, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Great Northern and Thameslink services through Enfield, Barnet and Haringey, as well as others elsewhere in the south-east of England.

GTR is the latest operator to become publicly owned following the expiry of its private contract with the government this Sunday (31st).

Another North London operator, Greater Anglia, was nationalised last year.

The government says that a renationalised GTR will deliver a range of initiatives to improve performance and passenger experience under public ownership, such as training 110 new travel safe officers to crack down on anti-social behaviour on the network and improving communication.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “From this Sunday, millions of passengers across the south-east and east of England will be travelling on rail services back in public hands – run for the public good, not private profit.

“Bringing Britain’s largest train operator into public ownership is a defining moment in our reform of the railway. It gives us an opportunity to tackle the bread and butter issues people want, like driving down cancellations and improving the frequency of services to Gatwick Airport.

“As we set up Great British Railways, we’re putting passengers first, fixing what’s broken, and delivering a railway people can rely on – one that rebuilds trust, regenerates communities and delivers the high standards passengers expect and deserve.”

The transfer follows the unveiling of the first Great British Railways (GBR) branded train at Brighton Station last week. More trains are set to follow in the coming months.

John Whitehurst, chief operating officer for GTR, said: “This is a railway that carries millions of people to work, to school, and to see friends and family every single day. From this Sunday every one of them will be on a publicly-owned service, which is a responsibility we take seriously and one we have been preparing for.

“We have spent the past year building the foundations, and bringing even deeper integration into our operations with Network Rail, with a single focus on what’s right for our customers and communities.

“That work means customers are already getting a railway that’s been transforming, and public ownership gives us the chance to go further to deliver the railway that millions of people across the south-east deserve.”

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