News / Transport
GWR to become one of first train companies brought into public ownership
In what is being described as a “pivotal moment”, GWR is set to become one of the first train operating companies in the UK to come under public control.
The company is set to follow Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains and Thameslink in the government’s “landmark overhaul of the railways”.
GWR and Chiltern Railways will then come next and are expected to operate under public control sometime in 2026 forming part of ‘Great British Railways’.
Southeastern, LNER and South Western Railway have already come under public ownership.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander will officially announce the news on Tuesday at the Labour party conference in Liverpool.
Alexander said: “Taking Great Western Railway into public ownership will be a pivotal moment in our work to return the railways to the service of passengers.
“My dad was an electrical apprentice on our railway in Swindon, making sure things worked properly.
“It seems fitting that I will continue that work alongside Helen (Godwin), as we rebuild a transport system fit for the future.
“It will take time, but we will sweep away decades of frustration, waste and pointless bureaucracy, and deliver a Great British Railway people can be proud of and rely on.”
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West of England mayor Helen Godwin added: “Across the country, more of the railways are being returned to the service of passengers.
“Here in the West, people will – like me – welcome the news from Heidi that trains are going to be run by the public, for the public.
“Since May, we have secured record transport funding for the West. That investment must make a difference that people can see and feel…
“Bringing our trains back into public ownership, and bringing back trains between Bristol and Portishead as part of building five new stations in the coming years, will make a huge difference for passengers across the West Country.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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