SOUTH Western Railway is set to become the train service first under public control, the Transport Secretary has revealed. 

The change will come into effect next year and is part of the government’s manifesto commitment to bring railways under public ownership after 30 years of privatisation. 

It comes after one of the Labour Government’s first significant pieces of legislation, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, received Royal Assent. 

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “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.  

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“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.”   

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the transition to publicly owned railways will improve reliability and “clamp down” on unacceptable levels of delays, cancellations and waste seen under decades of “failing franchise contracts”. 

The move will save up to £150 million a year in fees by ensuring every penny is spent on services rather than private shareholders, it said.