The Transport Secretary has announced the first plans to return train operators to public ownership.
The news follows on from the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 received royal assent.
South Western Railway will be the first to come under public control in 2025, and will be followed by c2c in July 2025 and Greater Anglia in Autumn 2025.
The services will be run and managed by DfT Operator Limited, previously known as DfT Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited.
The DfT says it expects all train operators to be under public control in the next three years.
“For too long, the British public have had to put up with rail services which 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.
“Our broken railways are finally on the fast track to repair and rebuilding a system that the British public can trust and be proud of again.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander
Responses
What rubbish. Has anyone tried a northern Sunday service recently. It’s non existent and that’s government run . Northern has zero improvement
I am afraid this will only make things worse especially with this present government as they are very incapable and very foolish !!! The railways will be come a political football and investment will diminish rapidly under the present chancellor ! They will wreck our railways !!!
But at least those hard working and under paid train drivers will be ok
I couldn’t agree more. Look at the damage that BR wrought with their various political masters. Years of trashing existing infrastructure and thus capacity and hardly a new train to be seen. Sad day.
Absolute rubbish
BR replaced steam, electrified extensively, resignalled many lines, introduced HSTs, got rid of old loose coupled freight wagons, coped with incidents without closing down sections of line for days on end, and were run by professional railwaymen who had plenty of experience.
Since privatisation it’s all about money while standards of comfort have markedly deteriorates.