Railways GWR among next to be taken over in nationalisation drive

GREAT Western Railway will be among the first train operators to be brought under public ownership.

- Sophie GRUBB

The news was trailed ahead of Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s speech to the Labour party conference. She said: “For too long our railways have been run in the interests of private profit, under a broken system that failed passengers over and over again.

“This Labour Government is calling time on 30 years of failure, frustration, fragmentation. We are returning our railways to the service of passengers.

“In February next year, West Midlands Trains will become the next operator to transfer into public ownership.

“And today I can go further, and announce that Govia Thameslink Railway, Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway will follow.

“We said we would do it in our manifesto - and we are delivering on our promise.” The Rail Public Ownership Bill was the first major piece of legislation passed by this Government, allowing ministers to take operators back into public control as their contracts expire.