A London rail firm will be the first to be nationalised by the government next spring.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has today (December 4) revealed that South Western Railway will be the first train operator to return to public ownership.

Its services, which run from London Bridge and through south west London towards the south coast of England, will be transferred in May next year.

The announcement comes just days after the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 received royal assent.

This has paved the way for a dramatic shake-up of Britain’s railways under which services will be taken into public ownership when existing franchise contracts end.

Following the nationalisation of South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia services will also be transferred next year.

This will happen in July for c2c, which runs services from London Fenchurch Street and through east London towards Essex.

Greater Anglia services, which run out of London Liverpool Street through north and east London towards East Anglia, will be taken into public ownership next autumn.

The government hopes that the move will cut down the number of delays and cancellations suffered by rail passengers.

Newly nationalised services will initially be run by DfT Operator Limited, but will eventually be managed by Great British Railways, a planned state-owned railway company.

The Transport Secretary said: “For too long, the British public have had to put up with rail services which simply don’t work. 

“A complex system of private train operators has too often failed its users.

“Starting with journeys on South Western Railway, we’re switching tracks by bringing services back under public control to create a reliable rail network that puts customers first.

“Our broken railways are finally on the fast track to repair and rebuilding a system that the British public can trust and be proud of again.” 

The Department of Transport expects all passenger services currently operated under the franchise system to be transferred into public ownership over the next three years.

Transport bosses added that they have allowed “several months lead-in” for train services to be transferred to minimise any impacts on passengers.