SWR is the main operator for western Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and Isle of Wight, and serves Greater London. Photo: SWR
The UK Government has begun to re-nationalise its railway services with South Western Railway (SWR) to become publicly owned on Sunday (May 25).
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the UK parliament that two other rail operators will also be re-nationalised this year: C2C and Greater Anglia.
The move follows the expiry of the operators’ national rail contracts and falls under the Passenger Railways Services Act 2024, passed by Parliament last November.
“From Sunday, operations will be run by a new public sector operator – South Western Railway Ltd,” she told parliament in a written statement.
“For now this will be a subsidiary of the public corporation, DfT Operator Limited (DfTO), which will eventually transfer into Great British Railways (GBR) once established.”
She says C2C will be the next to transfer into public ownership on July 20.
“I have issued an expiry notice to Greater Anglia confirming that their contract with the department will now expire on October 12,” Alexander said.
“Greater Anglia’s services will transfer into public ownership on this date,” she wrote.
She described Sunday’s transfer as a “watershed” moment in the Labor government’s plan to re-nationalise railways after 30 years.
She said the new GBR will serve as single ‘directing mind’ for the railway but cautioned against expectations.
“Public ownership alone is not a silver bullet and will not fix the structural problems hindering the railways currently. That will take time,” she says.
In February, the government announced its intention to form the GBR to consolidate the 14 different rail operators, Network Rail and DfTO, into a single organisation.
Alexander says she expected GBR to be up and running 12 months after King Chales II approved the Railways Bill if it passes parliament.
RECENT APOLOGIES
SWR recently had to apologise for the delayed rollout of its Arterio fleet as it struggles to install modern equipment at many of its historic 98 stations.
The company had wanted its rail drivers to open and close train drivers but CCTV cameras are needed to monitor its 10-car trains.
A company statement says it will switch to a driver-open, guard-close system as its accelerates its training and bring more trains on lines.
C@C also had to apologies on May 13 after a trespasser on its Tilbury line forced a power cut, a signalling failure and an emergency disrupted its network services all morning.
