Rail nationalisation: public ownership of first three operators announced for 2025

The government’s plan to renationalise the UK’s railways has officially begun with the announcement that South Western Railway’s (SWR) services will be the first to transfer into public ownership next year.

In its manifesto, the Labour Party committed to the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) – an effective renationalisation of the UK’s rail system that will happen gradually as existing private contracts elapse.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that SWR, which operates London commuter services from stations such as Farnham, Alton and Woking, will transition to public control once its current contract with FirstGroup and MTR expires in May 2025.

Franchises C2C and Greater Anglia will also be transferred into public ownership next year, with C2C moving in July 2025 followed by Greater Anglia in autumn 2025.

The move comes just days after one of the government’s first major pieces of legislation, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, received Royal...