South Western Railway: The first railway service to be renationalised

Following Royal Assent of the new Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, the Transport Secretary has revealed that South Western Railway’s services will be the first to transfer into public ownership in May 2025.

C2C will be transferred in July 2025, with Greater Anglia following in autumn 2025. The Department for Transport expects to transfer all passenger services that are currently being operated under contracts to public ownership within the next 3 years.

The publicly run services will eventually be run by Great British Railways (GBR), a body that the government will set up, but initially will be handled by DfT Operator Limited.

The government plans to reform the railways and believes that a transition to public ownership will improve reliability and support for the railway. They also believe it will help to boost economic growth and save taxpayers £150m per year in fees.

While the move is expected to help reduce cancellations and lateness, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander made no comment on whether renationalisation will result in cheaper fares.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed