00:00Avanti West Coast will move into public ownership from the 7th of March 2027,
00:07bringing one of Britain's busiest intercity rail services under government control.
00:13The operator runs through Birmingham New Streets on the West Coast mainline,
00:17linking the West Midlands with London, the North West and Scotland.
00:21The government says the change is designed to tackle years of delays, cancellations and infrastructure problems,
00:28while bringing the management of trains and track closer together.
00:33Ministers have announced an extra £10 million for power and signalling maintenance,
00:38on top of £840 million already committed to infrastructure improvements along the route.
00:45Timetables are also due to change with the aim of making services faster and more reliable,
00:51while new technologies plan to improve Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity.
00:55Euston will receive £50 million for upgrades, including more seating, improved waiting areas and refurbished toilets,
01:04while another £10 million is planned for other stations on the route.
01:08Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers have paid the price for poor performance
01:13and argues public ownership will put their interests first.
01:17Antti's Managing Director Andy Mellor says the company is proud of improvements made under its management,
01:23including refurbished Pendolino trains and increased services.
