Overview

• On May 25, the government assumed control of South Western Railway under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act, making it the first operator to be renationalized.
• The inaugural public-run service from Guildford to London Waterloo was canceled and other routes required rail replacement buses amid early operational hiccups.
• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said services will be run “by the public, for the public” with a focus on infrastructure improvements, although fare cuts are not guaranteed.
• The Liberal Democrats have called for a time-limited audit of reliability and regularity standards by the end of the year amid doubts that renationalization alone will lower costs or improve punctuality.
• MPs are set to vote this autumn on officially creating Great British Railways, which aims to oversee almost all passenger trains in England, Wales and Scotland by 2032.