The railway across Anglia has reached a significant milestone, with a new unified leadership team now in place to bring together c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia under a single, integrated structure.
The move marks an important step towards the establishment of Great British Railways (GBR), aligning track and train more closely to deliver a more joined‑up, reliable and passenger‑focused railway across the East of England.
By bringing infrastructure and operations together under one leadership team, the new model is designed to enable faster and more coordinated decision‑making across the network. This approach is expected to deliver tangible benefits for customers and communities, both in day‑to‑day service delivery and in the long‑term planning of improvements.
Operating under public ownership, the integrated Anglia railway will be better placed to keep services running when passengers need them most. A key focus will be on more coordinated planning of engineering work, alongside an even stronger emphasis on minimising disruption wherever possible.
Over time, this integrated approach is intended to transform how services are planned and delivered, improving reliability and providing a more consistent experience for passengers. Similar integrated teams are already in place on publicly owned South Eastern Railway and South Western Railway, where the model has delivered benefits for both passenger and freight services. This structure is expected to become the industry standard as the Government progresses plans for Great British Railways.
The move builds on an already strong performance across the Anglia region. Greater Anglia and c2c are among the best‑performing train operators in the country, each achieving punctuality levels of over 91% and maintaining some of the lowest cancellation rates nationally, supported by a high‑performing Network Rail Anglia route.
The Anglia network also plays a vital role in supporting freight movements and the wider economy. Integration will strengthen collaboration with key partners, including freight customers, Transport for London and other passenger operators, helping to improve connectivity and deliver a more cohesive transport network.
The new leadership team brings together expertise from across c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia, creating a clear and unified focus on delivering improvements for passengers and the communities the railway serves.
Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said:
“c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia are showing exactly how public ownership is transforming the railways for good. Great British Railways will bring the management of train and track together, a vital part of ending the fragmentation that passengers have dealt with for far too long.
“As we move towards GBR, leaders will work together to put passengers and freight at the centre of all planning and decision‑making, and those travelling across East Anglia will now reap the benefits: less disruption, greater connectivity and improved reliability.
"This is all part of our mission to build a passenger focused railway that supports jobs, growth and homes.”
Jamie Burles, Managing Director, said:
“We are starting from a position of strength, with two of the best‑performing train operators in the country and a strong Network Rail route. This is about building on that success and moving into the next phase, with joint objectives and joint solutions.
“By bringing track and train together under one leadership team, we can plan better, respond faster and deliver an even more reliable railway for passengers.
“Over time, that means better coordination during disruption, more effective planning of engineering work and a more consistent experience for customers and communities across the region.”
There will be no immediate changes to services, branding or how customers travel. c2c and Greater Anglia services will continue to operate as normal, while work progresses to bring teams closer together and deliver further improvements ahead of the formal establishment of Great British Railways.
Image credits: c2c
