Chiltern Railways transfers into public ownership
From today (20 September 2026), Chiltern Railways has transferred into public ownership and is being managed by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO). Please see our public ownership FAQs and the Department for Transport's press release for more information.
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About DFTO
DFTO works with train operators and Network Rail to lay the foundations for Great British Railways (GBR) - working together to deliver a better railway for everyone in Britain. Ahead of the establishment of GBR in 2027, DFTO is responsible for bringing privately operated passenger services into public ownership, ensuring stability, accountability and continuity for customers and taxpayers. The group’s current train operating companies are: c2c, Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, GTR, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and WM Trains. DFTO now runs 12,000 rail services every day and delivers over 1bn customer journeys across its networks each year.