Fresh data, as reported by the financial newspaper City AM (2nd October, 2025) shows that since the operator South Western Railway (SWR) was nationalised in May 2025, performance has collapsed:
- Cancellations up 50% in just three months
- Delay minutes up 29% despite a reduction in services
- Trains arriving 30–60 minutes late more than doubled
Bringing train operations under public control was meant to facilitate closer working between SWR and infrastructure manager Network Rail to deliver better outcomes for customers. The recent performance figures simply do not bear this out.
This is a worrying trend as operations have strarted to come under public control:
- Scotrail operates nearly 10% fewer services;
- Taxpayer subsidy provided to LNER more than doubled between 2023/24 and 2024/25;
- Northern Trains’ subsidy levels are also increasing.
And now government spokespeople are trying to blame the poor punctuality suffered by SWR customers on the former private operator.
ALLRAIL’s John Thomas says: “Within months of civil servants taking over SWR, performance has nosedived. Passengers are paying the price.
Are the issues already experienced with public control a sign of things to come? Is this what passengers can expect when Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains are soon to be nationalised?”
Thomas continues: “Instead of doubling down on ideology, the government should embrace what works: competitive tendering of concessions by an intelligent client and Open Access long-distance rail, as is happening all across Europe.”
Introducing ALLRAIL: Our non-profit association represents independent passenger rail companies and is active representing members in the UK.
We push for a growing, customer-focused passenger rail sector that is less reliant on the taxpayer.
If you want more details on how we propose doing this, please contact our Policy Director,
John Thomas:
Phone: +44(0) 7979 851461
Email: john.thomas@allrail.org