Tom Rutland, the Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham, voted in support of the Government’s Railways Bill, which will establish a new publicly owned company, Great British Railways (GBR).
GBR will run and manage the tracks and trains used by passengers every day.
The transition to a publicly owned railway is expected to drive up reliability and clamp down on unacceptable levels of delays, cancellations and waste seen under decades of failing franchise contracts.
Mr Rutland said: “This is very welcome news for residents in Adur and Worthing.
“I fully support the Government’s new approach to deliver better, more reliable rail services for passengers.
“Through the Passenger Watchdog, the simplification of fares and the elimination of bureaucracy, we are taking back control of our railways and putting them back in the service of passengers.”
It is expected that local operator Southern Rail will enter public ownership in May 2026.
The Railways Bill also gives passengers a new voice with a Passenger Watchdog, which will set tough standards for the railways in all areas.
The Passenger Watchdog will be able to investigate disputes around missing passenger assistance, broken amenities, poor customer service and more.
To improve the passenger experience, the Bill proposes a new GBR app and website, allowing travellers to book tickets directly without booking fees.
Passengers will also benefit from the expansion of Pay As You Go trials across the country.
This follows the announcement that rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years, saving commuters on the most expensive routes more than £300 a year.
New GBR branding has also been released and will gradually appear on trains and at stations across the country.
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