Julia Lopez, Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster, has expressed serious concerns about the Labour Government’s decision to bring the c2c rail franchise into public ownership from 2025, warning that the move could put at risk one of the UK’s best-performing train services.
The Government’s renationalisation programme, announced under the new Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, will see contracts with private rail operators transferred to the state as they expire. c2c is among the first to be brought under state control, despite being consistently ranked as one of the top-performing operators in Britain.
According to the most recent independent data, c2c leads the country in overall customer satisfaction, with a 94% approval rating. It also boasts industry-leading punctuality and reliability, with over 99% of services arriving within 15 minutes of schedule and one of the lowest cancellation rates in the country.
Mrs Lopez has raised concerns that nationalising a service which is already delivering good results for passengers could jeopardise the high standards currently enjoyed by her constituents and others along the c2c route.
Julia said:
“This is not about ideology, it’s about outcomes. The community is served by one of the most reliable and punctual train operators in the country.
“I am deeply concerned that bringing c2c into public ownership risks undoing years of progress and investment that have delivered real benefits to local people.
“We must ask whether this is the best use of taxpayer money, and whether passengers in Havering and beyond will see any improvement, or simply more bureaucracy and higher costs.”
While the Labour Government has pledged a “seamless transition,” there are questions around how public ownership will preserve or enhance the standards set by some of the best operators such as c2c. Critics of the move argue that the loss of private sector focus and discipline could lead to a decline in service levels over time, particularly if commercial incentives are removed.
Julia’s intervention follows similar warnings from industry experts and passenger groups, who have highlighted the risk of applying a one-size-fits-all approach to rail reform without recognising the strong performance of certain franchises.
Julia will continue to monitor the situation closely and seek assurances that the interests of commuters and taxpayers are being properly safeguarded.
