Minister Commits to Renationalising South Western Railway
Says government 'will act swiftly' in response to Ruth Cadbury’s question
The current franchise agreement is due to expire next May. Picture: CA850
July 31, 2024
The new Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh told the House of Commons this Monday (29 July) that South Western Railway (SWR) is definitely going to be renationalised.
She was responding to a question from Brentford and Isleworth MP about the timetable for taking back the franchise into public ownership.
The Minister said, “She should be in no doubt that South Western will be brought into public ownership and all contracts remaining will be done so within the first term of this government and ideally within three years of this bill receiving Royal assent. We will act swiftly.”
In response to potential criticism that the policy is driven by ideology she added, “There is nothing ideological about fixing what is broken and reforming what doesn’t work.”
Labour’s new bill, introduced in the King’s Speech, would change the system from the state being the provider of last resort to a presumption that the services would be taken under state control when franchise agreements expired without compensating private operators.
This approach aims to streamline operations and improve service quality, with the establishment of a new public body, Great British Railways, to oversee the network.
The current agreement for SWR was originally set to end in August 2024, with an option for a one-year extension. However, this arrangement was replaced by a National Rail Contract due to the financial challenges of the pandemic which saw passenger numbers collapse. The new contract, which started in March 2021, has been extended and is now set to expire in May next year. The Southern Rail franchise expires in April 2024 and Great Western Railway in June 2024.
It is not clear at this stage whether the government will take over operations immediately on expiry of the agreement and this may depend on its legislative and administrative capabilities.
Earlier Ruth Cadbury had used her first speech in Parliament since the 2024 general election to call for the Government to put transport at the ‘‘heart of national renewal’’.
The local MP hailed the intention to bring rail back into public ownership as ‘‘essential for a simplified and unified rail system that focuses on improving passenger services while getting value for the taxpayer.’’
After speaking in the House she said, ‘‘People want to see better public transport, especially on our trains. Too many trains are overcrowded, delayed or cancelled and too many passengers are getting ripped off by record high fares. I’m delighted that the new Government have sought to fix the mess they have inherited and are already working to put transport at the heart of our national renewal. A working transport system is good for our economy, good for our environment and good for families.”
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