Witham MP Priti Patel has met with senior management at Greater Anglia to discuss the future of rail services in the region. From 12 October 2025Greater Anglia rail services will fall under direct Government control, and Priti and local rail passengers have raised serious concerns over the lack of plans that the Labour Government has put forward.
In recent years, Priti has worked for Greater Anglia to improve rail services, which has led to Greater Anglia has delivereing record levels of investment, improved punctuality, and introducing a brand-new £1.4 billion fleet of trains. Despite this success, Labour is determined to force Greater Anglia into public ownership as part of its nationalisation process. Passengers are concerned about the risks of political interference, disruption during the transition, and whether service quality and investment will suffer once Labour takes control. Priit has raised these concerns and a series of questions with the Labour Government about their plans, but Ministers have failed to provide any responses.
After meeting with Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Martin Beable, and Head of Corporate Affairs, Jonathan Denby, Priti said:
“It is extraordinary that the Labour Government is choosing to dismantle a successful rail operator that has been improving services and investing in new trains, stations, and community partnerships across East Anglia. For years we have worked closely to secure new investment in better services and all of this is now at risk with Labour's ill-thought-through ideological decision to nationalise and control the railway.
“Instead of supporting success, Labour’s fixation with nationalisation throws everything into uncertainty. Passengers in Witham and across Essex want more investment, more trains, and a better deal on fares, not a politically motivated experiment.”
“Just like with their reckless housing targets and disastrous plans for pylons across our countryside, Labour is showing again that it doesn’t listen to local people. I will continue to fight for our rail services, hold this Government to account, and make sure the voice of Witham is heard.”
