Train cancellations have soared by 50 per cent and delays have jumped by nearly a third since Labour nationalised South Western Railway, official figures reveal.
The network, which carries hundreds of thousands of passengers between London, Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset, was put into public ownership in May 2025 as part of Labour’s sweeping plan to put Britain’s railways under state control.
Now new data shows performance has plummeted sharply in the months since, with cancellations up by half, total delay minutes up 29 per cent, and trains arriving 30–60 minutes late more than doubling.
Shadow Transport Minister Jerome Mayhew MP said the figures showed Labour’s flagship rail policy was already failing commuters.
He said: “Labour promised nationalisation would fix Britain’s railways. Instead, it’s made them worse. Since taking over South Western, cancellations have soared by 50 per cent and delays by nearly a third.”
The Tory MP accused ministers of prioritising union demands over passenger service, saying the Government’s first move was to award rail workers a 15 per cent pay rise “with no strings attached”, a deal he claimed was ultimately “paid for by already hard-pressed commuters”.
He added: “Only running rail services through private companies has kept bills as low as possible.”
The nationalisation of South Western was one of Labour’s first major transport reforms, with ministers promising a simpler, fairer system under the new Great British Railways brand.
But the slump in services since May has led to more debate over whether public ownership delivers better results than private franchises.
Mr Mayhew said: “Labour have talked up the benefits of renationalisation for years but have presented no credible plan that will deliver. As usual, British taxpayers are left footing the bill for their mismanagement.”
A DfT spokesperson said:
“Through public ownership and the creation of Great British Railways, the Government is fundamentally reforming how our railways are run, putting passengers first.
“Public ownership will deliver a railway that is more accountable, efficient, and reliable – resulting in greater opportunities for communities and significant growth.
“It is not a silver bullet, and issues inherited from private sector ownership will take time to root out, but we expect public-sector operators – and Great British Railways once it is established – to focus relentlessly on improving reliability, punctuality and other aspects of the service that matter most to passengers, and we will hold them to account for doing so.”