Sun, 25 May 2025

Sun, 25 May 2025 South Western first rail firm renationalised by Labour

The first service under new public ownership will be partially operated by a rail replacement bus.

* South Western Railway (SWR) has been renationalised, becoming the first train company to transfer to public ownership under Labour.
* The first nationalised service will leave at 05:36 from Woking to Surbiton, but with a rail replacement bus covering part of the route.
* Unions have expressed concerns over outsourcing to private companies, while the opposition Conservatives say Labour must "deliver on their promises".
* SWR trains are now under the Department for Transport's Operator and will be integrated into Great British Railways (GBR), which will oversee all railway infrastructure.
* GBR will not officially exist until MPs vote to create it in the autumn.
* The government has not promised lower fares, but says profits will be reinvested in infrastructure and services improved.
* Two more rail firms, C2C and Greater Anglia, are set to be brought into public ownership later this year.
* Seven more companies will be renationalised by 2027 as their contracts end, or sooner if performance is deemed unacceptable.
* The government plans to renationalise nearly all passenger rail services across England, Wales, and Scotland by 2030.
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