GWR to be nationalised by the end of the year

GBR instead of GWR

Great Western Rail (GWR) – the rail company that operates in and out of Cornwall – will be nationalised by the end of the year.

It was announced that the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, has exercised her contractual right to issue an expiry notice to GWR, confirming its contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) will end on December 13, 2026, at which point services will transfer into public ownership.

A DfT spokesperson said: “This is another significant moment for the Government’s flagship public ownership programme and brings a simpler, more reliable network under Great British Railway a step closer.

“The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring services back into public ownership and put passengers, not shareholders, at the heart of our railways.”

GWR was privatised in February 1996 as part of the privatisation of British Rail, initially launching as Great Western Trains before becoming First Great Western in 1998. FirstGroup has operated the franchise since that time. The company was rebranded as GWR in 2015.

Perran Moon, Labour MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said: “An absolutely core policy commitment in the General Election Labour Party manifesto was the setting up of GB Rail and renationalising of the train operating companies.

“I’m absolutely delighted that, when it comes to GWR, we will be delivering on that commitment so soon into this Parliament. Privatisation of our railways was a fundamentally flawed policy and I’m pretty sure this renationalisation will be welcomed not only by those that use GWR but also the many people that work on our trains too.”

A Great Western Railway spokesperson said: “We welcome the clarity provided by today’s announcement and will continue to work closely with the Department for Transport as we move into public ownership.

“Throughout this process, our priority will be maintaining a punctual, reliable service for customers while continuing to support regional growth and connectivity across our network.”