One of the UK's biggest commuter services, which operates from London Waterloo, it will be taken into public hands in May.
SWR is run as a joint venture between First Group and MTR, the Hong Kong rail operator.
The decision will spell a more cautious timeline for renationalisation under the new transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, than envisaged by her predecessor, Louise Haigh, who resigned last week.
SWR will be the next to be brought under the control of the Department for Transport's operator of last resort, DOHL, when its contract ends in May.
Two more commuter operations out of London will be next, with C2C, the Essex service, expected to be in public hands by July, and Greater Anglia to follow in autumn 2025.
This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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