Richard Quigley, Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight West, has today welcomed the Government’s plans to overhaul the rail network and put passengers first. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the news today that South Western Railways’ services will be the first to transfer into public ownership next year.
The move comes just days after the Government’s first major piece of legislation, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, received Royal Assent, paving the way for a major shake-up of Britain’s railways.
The transition to a publicly owned railway will drive up reliability and clamp down on unacceptable levels of delays, cancellations and waste seen under decades of failing franchise contracts. It will save up to £150 million a year in fees alone by ensuring every penny is spent on services rather than private shareholders.
Today’s announcement will see operators across England brought back into public control from Autumn 2025 onwards.
South Western Railways, who operate Island Line and the majority of routes from ferry terminals in Portsmouth and Southampton, will be the first operator to be renationalised in May 2025.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander 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.”
Richard Quigley, MP for Isle of Wight West, said:
“Islanders will no doubt welcome today’s announcements. For too long, we’ve been plagued by unreliable services, delayed journeys, missed ferry connections and people stranded on the wrong side of the Solent.
“I fully support the Government’s new approach to deliver better, more reliable rail services for passengers. Today’s announcement shows we are serious and on our way to reversing the mess that the previous Government left things in.”
Meanwhile, the Government has already made major strides towards improving performance and services for passengers. Since July, Labour has brought an end to long-running national industrial disputes, and LNER cancellations due to a lack of driver resource have dropped to near zero.
There are also plans underway to display performance information at stations – allowing the public to hold the rail leaders to account for delivery.
