The transport secretary has revealed the first three rail franchises first to come under public control next year under Labour’s renationalisation plans, with South Western Railway (SWR) first in line.
The announcement came shortly after the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 – one of the new government’s first major pieces of legislation – received Royal Assent.
The transition to a publicly owned railway will improve reliability and support the government’s number one priority of boosting economic growth by encouraging more people to use the railway.
Services currently run by SWR will come under public control in May, with c2c expected to transition by July and Greater Anglia in the autumn.
The new transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: ‘For too long, the British public has had to put up with rail services that simply don’t work. A complex system of private train operators has too often failed its users.
‘Starting with journeys on South Western Railway, we’re switching tracks by bringing services back under public control to create a reliable rail network that puts customers first.’
Ms Alexander also announced that publicly run services will be managed by DfT Operator Limited – previously known as DfT Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited – whose functions will eventually be integrated into Great British Railways (GBR).
The Department for Transport said it expects the transfer of all passenger services operated under contracts with it to complete over the next three years.
It added that the Government will be setting out plans in the new year for how Shadow GBR will be delivering on its initial priorities, including how it will be moving the network towards greater financial sustainability and delivering for passengers.
Andy Bagnall, chief executive of Rail Partners, which represents train operating companies, said: ‘Simply changing who runs the trains won’t deliver more reliable and affordable services for passengers, reduce subsidy for taxpayers, or grow rail freight.
‘The key to both improving performance and holding down fares is restoring the railway to financial sustainability.
‘It is counter intuitive to start removing private sector operators from the system, with their track record of delivering growth to reduce subsidy, when the question of what will replace them long-term won’t be answered until further rail legislation is introduced.’
