Chiltern Railways services were due to move into public ownership on Sunday 20 September 2026, the Department for Transport said in a 17 September 2026 press release. The department said Chiltern would become the sixth operator whose services transfer into public ownership, connecting London Marylebone with communities across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. It said the change was intended to support more reliable trains.

The department said a new timetable planned from December 2026 would add 25 services each weekday, including a half-hourly service on the Chiltern Mainline between London and Birmingham, providing almost 10,000 extra seats every weekday. It cited plans for six more Chiltern Explorer trains, completing a fleet of 13, a £12 million refurbishment of the Class 168 fleet by 2028, station improvements, and the reopening of 200 previously closed car park spaces at Haddenham and Thame Parkway.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said every transfer into public ownership was a chance to tackle everyday issues. Tony Baxter, Chiltern's interim managing director, called the transfer a significant milestone. The department said Great Western Railway services would transfer next, on 13 December 2026, ahead of completing the full programme by the end of 2027.