History has been made today (25th May) as South
Western Railway (SWR) services become the first to transfer back
into public control under the new legislation, ending almost 30
years of fragmentation and waste under privatisation.
Great British Railways won't just be the name of the new
nationally owned railway, it symbolises a complete reset that
will mark the high standard of service and delivery the public
should expect to receive.
Speaking from South Western Railway's depot in Bournemouth, the
Transport Secretary was clear that operators will have to earn
the right to be called “Great British Railways”.
Starting with SWR, each operator will have to meet rigorous,
bespoke performance standards on things like punctuality,
cancellation and passenger experience, so we can rebuild a world
class public service.
Two thirds of Britons have already expressed their support for
public ownership, which will save the taxpayer up to £150 million
a year in fees alone and ensure every penny can be spent for the
benefit of passengers.
Public ownership is a vital first step in kickstarting the
cultural reset needed to instil a sense of pride back into the
railways, moving away from 14 siloed train operators, each with
their own staff, incentives and competing commercial
motivations. A new nationally owned body – Great British
Railways - will manage track and train, with a sole focus of
delivering for the public. As set out in the King's Speech, we
will introduce legislation to create Great British Railways this
session.
By bringing track and train together Great British Railways will
enable operations to run more seamlessly, bringing accountability
and reliability back into the railways and in turn helping to
reduce delays and cancellations. This will get more people using
our trains to travel to work, education and for leisure –
boosting both the national and regional economies as part of the
Government's Plan for Change.
Secretary of State for Transport said: “Today is a watershed
moment in our work to return the railways to the service of
passengers. Trains from Waterloo to Weymouth, Bournemouth and
Exeter, …
… will have to meet rigorous performance standards and earn the
right to be called Great British Railways. “We have a
generational opportunity to restore national pride in our
railways and I will not waste it.”
This follows the passing of the Public Ownership Act in November
– one of the first major pieces of legislation to be delivered
under the current Government – showing its commitment to putting
an end to unreliable services and private profiteering at the
expense of passengers.
All passenger services operating under contracts with the
Department will return to public ownership by the end of 2027 and
will eventually be integrated into Great British Railways.
Services are being transferred after contracts reach the end of
their minimum term, or where they can be ended early, ensuring
taxpayers pay no additional costs for breaking
contracts.
Lawrence Bowman, Managing Director of Southern Western Railway
said: “I'm excited to join and lead the excellent team at South
Western Railway, who come to work every day to deliver the best
possible service …
… years I will focus on ensuring SWR moves into Great British
Railways as a truly integrated industry-leading operation that
delivers an excellent service to its passengers and the local
communities we serve.”
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better
Transport, said:
“Today marks a turning point for Britain's railways and it's good
to see the Government's plans for reforming the railways
continuing at pace.
"The creation of Great British Railways presents a once in a
generation opportunity to change how the rail system works –
structurally, financially and operationally – and put passengers
and freight operators first.”
To commemorate this historic moment, the Secretary of State also
unveiled a new coming soon logo on what will be the first
publicly owned South Western Railway service to leave Waterloo at
06.14 today [Sunday 25 May], reiterating that our railways are
coming back into the hands of the public.
Today [Sunday 25 May] digital screens at Waterloo will display
the new 'coming soon' logo from 06.00 and a special Tannoy
announcement celebrating the first publicly owned SWR service
leaving the station. Displays at other SWR stations will also
show the new 'coming soon' logo from today [Sunday 25 May].
