• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday May 27 2025

Wiltshire rail service first to be re-nationalised

A rail service that operates in Wiltshire and Berkshire will become the first to be re-nationalised, the government announced on Sunday.

South Western Railway (SWR) will become the first rail franchise operator to come back into public ownership, 30 years British Rail was privatised and split into 14 privately-owned franchises.

Two-thirds of Britons have already expressed their support for public ownership, which – the government says – will save the taxpayer up to £150 million a year in fees alone.

By 2027, all franchise holders will operate under the Great British Railways brand. GBR will manage the track and trains.

Speaking from SWR’s Bournemouth depot on Sunday, secretary of state for transport and Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander said: “Today is a watershed moment in our work to return the railways to the service of passengers.

“I know that most users of the railway don’t spend much time thinking about who runs the trains – they just want them to work.

“That’s why operators 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.”

South Western Railway currently provides services running through Warminster and Westbury. It also operates Salisbury station and jointly runs Reading station.

Lawrence Bowman, newly-appointed managing director of South 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 for our customers and moving into public ownership will make it easier for them to do so.

“My immediate priority is to work with colleagues to develop a plan for SWR, that will make the most of the new, simpler industry processes to deliver improvements in reliability and an increase in capacity.

“Over the coming 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.”

Latest: Great Western Railway to be brought back into public ownership