South Western Railway to be renationalised - reports

Three rail operators will be renationalised by Labour next year, but the move is not expected to bring down fares for passengers travelling on these lines.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she recognised that "affordability is really important to people" but that people were "willing to pay for a good service".

It comes as the government confirmed South Western Railway will be renationalised in May 2025, C2C in July 2025, and Greater Anglia in autumn 2025, after Labour passed a law allowing it to do so.

But some have criticised the plans, arguing that public ownership will not make much difference unless it is paired with fresh investment in the railways.

The move is part of Labour's wider plans to renationalise rail services as operators' contracts either end or reach a break.

Under the existing system, Britain's railway lines are run by train operating companies as franchises for a fixed length of time.

Northern Ireland's rail system has remained nationalised since 1948.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which passed last week, allows the government to act on its manifesto promise to take rail contracts back into public ownership in five years as each private franchise runs out.

The government also plans to set up a new arms-length body, Great British Railways (GBR), which will take over service contracts currently held by private firms as they expire in the coming years.

It wants GBR to take over responsibility for maintaining and improving rail infrastructure from Network Rail eventually.

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