Official announcements from the UK Department for Transport or South Western Railway

Labour to Renationalise South Western Railway in May 2025, First of Three Operators

Dec 4, 2024, 07:24 AM

The Labour government has announced that South Western Railway will be the first train operator to be renationalised under the Public Ownership Act, as part of a major shake-up of Britain's railways. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that services operated by South Western Railway will transfer into public ownership in May 2025, followed by C2C in July 2025 and Greater Anglia in the autumn. This move aims to fix the country's troubled railway system, providing better services for passengers and better value for taxpayers. Labour leader Keir Starmer stated that his government is delivering on the promise to rebuild Britain. The renationalisation marks a significant reversal of decades of privatisation and indicates further operators may follow into public ownership.