Public rail ownership popular but early days for improvements

A power failure at Network Rail's operating centre in Manchester on Wednesday 6 August brought trains across north-west England to a standstill shortly before 14:00. Passengers reported being stranded for hours, with some needing to book overnight accommodation. This incident followed a summer marked by delays and cancellations, including those caused by heatwaves requiring speed restrictions and derailments near Lewes, East Sussex, and Wickford, Essex.

Public support for nationalisation

Read Next in Harrow News London4 min read

South Western Railway delays total 9,437 minutes due to trespass

Network Rail and British Transport Police data show trespass caused six and a half days of lost travel time in 2025/26, prompting SWR to deploy drones and sensors.

The Labour party is gradually bringing passenger rail services under public ownership. A YouGov tracker poll indicates that nearly two-thirds of the public favour public ownership of rail. However, experts caution that plans are in their initial stages, with significant structural changes yet to be implemented, making it too early to assess the success of these policies.

Early performance of nationalised operators

South Western Railway (SWR) was the first of six services brought into public ownership by Labour, in May 2025. Commuters at Woking station have reported no noticeable difference in reliability since nationalisation. SWR recorded a clear increase in cancellations during its initial year under public management. The government has attributed this to factors such as high summer temperatures, signal failures, and trespass incidents, rather than nationalisation itself.

Related Borough Coverage3 min read

Mayor Khan calls for faster e-bike regulation

Government rules not expected until 2028, despite rising journeys and safety concerns.

Lord Hendy, the rail minister, has outlined that work to improve SWR includes deploying new trains on suburban routes and increasing driver recruitment, which has led to a reduction in cancellations attributed to staff shortages. TransPennine Express, nationalised in May 2023 under the Conservative government due to its struggles with timetable adherence and industrial relations, has seen a noticeable fall in cancellations following a reliability improvement plan. This plan involved service reductions and adjustments to train types to address staffing issues. A new agreement with the drivers' union was also secured, which an insider suggested the previous private operator had not been permitted to achieve.

Assessing the impact

Despite the fall in cancellations for TransPennine Express, its figures remained above the Great Britain average in the year to August. Alex Hynes, chief executive of DfT Operator Limited, the government company overseeing publicly run operators, noted that short-term changes have been made, such as assigning joint responsibility for managing infrastructure and passenger train services in certain regions, including the south-west of England. He stated that this integrated approach allows for the resolution of all system elements to enhance customer service. Hynes also cited improvements on Thameslink, including investment in cleaning, toilet facilities, and the replacement of unpopular seating.

However, Stephen Glaister, emeritus professor of transport and infrastructure at Imperial College London and former chair of the Office of Rail and Road, believes a decade is necessary to properly evaluate the impact of nationalisation on operator performance metrics like delays and cancellations. He argues that it is 'completely hopeless' to make such assessments over short periods. The government contends that official data indicates publicly owned operators are performing better in punctuality and cancellation rates compared to those operating under contracts with private firms.

Experts highlight that limitations persist regardless of ownership. Many delays stem from infrastructure failures, such as signal malfunctions, and the existing network has finite capacity. Acquiring new trains or increasing staff numbers can take years. It is also noted that Network Rail has been publicly controlled for over two decades, and several train companies were already nationalised under previous governments. Even operators under Department for Transport contracts have faced significant government control for years, particularly since the pandemic when private operators received fixed fees while the taxpayer assumed financial risks.