Great Western Railway to Return to Public Ownership in December

The rail operator Great Western Railway will come under government control on 13 December, officials have confirmed. GWR, which is based in Swindon, runs services linking London to the south-west of England and South Wales. Its trains serve stations including Taunton, Bristol and Gloucester as well as routes into South Wales.

The operator will be brought into the government's new Great British Railways organisation. A spokesperson for the operator said they welcomed the clarity provided by the announcement and would continue to work closely with the Department for Transport.

The spokesperson added that throughout the process the priority would be maintaining a punctual, reliable service for customers while continuing to support regional growth and connectivity across the network.

Transport described the move as a significant moment that would place passengers, rather than shareholders, at the heart of the railways. The focus will instead be on improving services and infrastructure. Helen Godwin, mayor for the West of England Combined Authority, welcomed the news.

"We deserve four trains an hour at stations across our growing regional rail network," she said. She added that work would continue with partners to deliver the infrastructure needed to make that ambition a reality. Rail services in Wales were nationalised in 2021 and Scotland took trains into public ownership the following year.

GWR has been running trains across the south-west of England for a number of years, with the first line built between Bristol and London.