An expert has outlined the changes customers can expect after the first UK railway operator comes under government control this month. This is according to the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which sparks a major reform of Britain’s network embarked on by Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour administration. Southwestern Railway’s (SWR) takeover will be followed by the absorption of c2c and Greater Anglia.
The UK’s transport network, including its infrastructure, operations and ticket sales, will be overseen by Great British Railways (GBR), a state-owned company based in Derby. The firm will also be in charge of procuring passenger services, setting fares, and developing timetables. The privatisation of the country’s railways began in 1993, and has resulted in numerous companies managing services. But the government argues that bringing them all under one body will ensure more efficient and smoother journeys. Labour says its plans will save the taxpayer £2.2billion a year.
Jessie Chambers, a senior travel expert at Global Work and Travel, has outlined what SWR customers can expect.
The first change is new branding, as, over the coming months, the SWR brand will gradually be replaced with Great British Railways branding at stations, on trains, and across communications materials.
Moreover, they argue that travellers can expect “reliability and fewer delays”, as public ownership is “intended to bring a sharper focus on service performance”.
Jessie said: “Commuters should expect a lot fewer delays moving forward.
“With services back under government control, we anticipate better timetable management, quicker responses to disruption, and a clearer commitment to reliability.”
On ticket prices, the expert said that, while no immediate fare cuts have been announced, the government has pledged to simplify the current complex pricing system.
A more transparent fare structure could mean “fairer prices over the longer term”, albeit any major changes are unlikely to happen overnight.
The public seems to see this as crucial to why it supports nationalisation, as YouGov found in September that only 6%, including only 8% of those who ostensibly support nationalising the railways, say they would continue to support nationalisation if rail fares were to continue to increase.
Fares increased overall by an average of 4.6% in the UK on March 2.
Jesse added: “This transition sets the foundation for real improvements over time. Public ownership puts passengers, not profits, at the heart of the service.
“While early changes may be subtle, the ultimate goal is a rail network that feels more reliable, more consistent, and better value for commuters.”
But some are sceptical of Labour’s plan.
Research from Virgin Group, a private railway operator, found, after a survey of 2,000 rail passengers, that more than a third of consumers (36%) would like to see complete nationalisation of the railways.
But half (51%) said they would like to see a mix of Open Access and nationalisation. This increased to 57% amongst consumers under 35, and 58% of passengers that have used the West Coast Main Line in the last 12 months.
In each case, the company added, more than 60% of passengers think that competition on the railways could result in “lower ticket prices, more frequent services, more reliable trains and improved customer experience overall”.
Tory frontbencher Lord Moylan said in the House of Lords in November: “Labour now owns the train set and can call the shots.
“I suspect it will fall to the Conservatives to fix it again when it all goes wrong.”