The UK transport secretary has revealed today [4 December 2024] South Western Railway as the first rail service to transfer into public ownership next year.
The move comes just days after one of the government’s first major pieces of legislation, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, received Royal Assent.
The government hopes that the transition to a publicly owned railway will improve reliability and support its priority of boosting economic growth by encouraging more people to use the railway.
It will also clamp down on delays, cancellations and waste which could save up to £150m a year in fees alone.
The announcement will see the start of services renationalised across a wide area of southern England and East Anglia by autumn 2025 without, the government states, costing taxpayers.
The transport secretary 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 expects the transfer of all passenger services operated under contracts with the Department for Transport to GBR to be complete over the next 3 years.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “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.
“Improving our railways will take time, but this is a crucial first step towards fundamental rail reform. Challenges remain on a system that is fragmented, complicated and provides little accountability.
“In the coming months we will set out more detail about how, through the establishment of GBR, we will reform our railways to modernise working practices, make tickets simpler and fairer, deliver a better service for passengers and a better deal for taxpayers.”
