{
  "id": 10353159,
  "title": "Avanti West Coast main line to be nationalised",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/avanti-west-coast-main-line-to-be-nationalised",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-28T03:05:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c60qxk7d2539o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Avanti West Coast, a train service provider, will be nationalised next March, the government has declared. For years, complaints have surfaced regarding the poor performance of Avanti, with passengers bearing the brunt. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed her dissatisfaction, stating that enough is enough. The decision is part of a broader government strategy to enhance rail infrastructure, reduce delays, and elevate passenger experiences. Avanti West Coast's contract was set to expire on March 7th. Prime Minister Andy Burnham echoed Alexander's sentiments on social media, lamenting the years of inconvenience caused by Avanti's cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has consistently failed. Managing Director Andy Mellors of Avanti West Coast acknowledged the company's achievements over the past six years, including refurbishing their Pendolino fleet and introducing new Evero trains, and stated that they will collaborate closely with the government for a smooth transition into public ownership, while continuing to prioritize their customers and communities. In May, Avanti West Coast announced that one in seven rail services on their busiest routes would be discontinued following a government request to reduce spending. The company, a joint venture between FirstGroup (70%) and Italian state operator Trenitalia (30%), predicted the move would cause minimal disruption to passengers and not impact revenues. The financial performance of companies like Avanti West Coast is heavily influenced by the Department for Transport (DfT) due to contracts introduced in March 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently, all train services operated under DfT contracts are being transferred to public ownership. Other rail firms, including Great Western Railway, which is owned by FirstGroup, and several others, are already under public ownership. Welsh services were nationalised in 2021, and Scotland followed suit the next year.",
  "summary": "The move is part of a plan to improve rail infrastructure, cut train delays and improve experiences for passengers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}