West Midlands Trains has transferred into public ownership.

The Department for Transport confirmed the news last year and the move was officially made on Sunday (1 February).

WMT has said this will not impact services, timetables or stations.

All West Midlands Railway services are being managed by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO).

DFTO is the government's public sector owning group that will manage all train companies as they move into public ownership ahead of the creation of Great British Railways.

"Public ownership of the railways will help to deliver an improved experience for passengers, by enabling train operators and the management of the railway's infrastructure to be brought together to improve performance, reduce subsidy, drive innovation and improve satisfaction, making the railway better for customers and taxpayers," a statement said.

MP for Warwick and Leamington, Matt Western, has called the move "a step in the right direction to delivering a service which works for passengers, not shareholders".

"For too long, rail services have not been run with the best interests of passengers at their heart and as a result passengers have lost trust in our railways and their reliability," he added.

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 "Something needed to change and I am delighted that we are taking the bold steps to bring our railways back into public ownership and ensuring that they will be run in the interests of passengers, not shareholders. 

 "This is not a silver bullet but a vital step which will see us move closer to a simpler, unified rail system under Great British Railways."