South Western Railway’s train services are to be the first to come under public control.
The government confirmed today that services, including the Weymouth to Waterloo line, will transfer into public ownership from May next year.
Ministers say they’re delivering on a manifesto commitment to bring contracts with existing train operators into public ownership as they expire without costing taxpayers a penny in compensation.
The new publicly run services will be managed by DfT Operator Limited.
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 Assent, paving the way for a major shake-up of Britain’s railways.
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.
“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.”
The functions of DfT Operator Limited will eventually be integrated into Great British Railways.
The transfer of all passenger services operated under contracts with the Department for Transport is expected to complete over the next three years.