Avanti West Coast to be renationalised in March

Avanti West Coast will be renationalised in spring, as prime minister Andy Burnham declares “enough is enough” for passengers who have put up with a rail service “that has failed them time and time again”.

The rail operator, which is one of the worst in the country for train delays and cancellations, will come under public ownership from March when its contract ends.

The Labour government has been nationalising passenger rail services across the country as their contracts have expired, as the public body Great British Railways prepares to take full oversight in 2027.

Avanti had among the highest proportion of train cancellations in Britain, at 7.1% from April to June this year.

The company connects the north and south of England, with its service running from London to Manchester and Liverpool.

Burnham has previously complained about high prices on Avanti, with tickets for peak-time returns from Manchester to London as high as £300.

The prime minister wrote on social media that “for years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again”.

“So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first.

“More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right. We’re putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.”

Avanti, which has the worst punctuality rating for any large rail company in the UK, has also cut multiple services in the past year, including the 7am train between Manchester and London.

The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, – who will formally announce the decision in her speech at Labour conference on Tuesday afternoon – added that “for years, we’ve heard stories of Avanti underperforming, with passengers left paying the price”.

She added that the Labour government “is committed to putting essential services back in public hands, connecting people to opportunity and delivering growth in every postcode and this move reflects that commitment”.

Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved over the last six years – from refurbishing our Pendolino fleet and introducing our new Evero trains to running more services than ever before.”

He said the improvements had given “customers greater choice, more capacity and better connectivity, while we’ve continued to innovate to shape the future of the west coast and wider rail industry”.