| Fewer trains in the South West when nationalised? Posted by grahame at 08:03, 21st June 2026 |     |
From the Wiltshire Times
Passengers across Wiltshire and the South West could face fewer train services under Labour’s rail nationalisation plans, according to the head of Great Western Railway’s parent company.
Graham Sutherland, chief executive of FirstGroup, which owns Great Western Railway (GWR), said cuts already being introduced on other parts of the rail network could become more widespread as the Government brings train operators under public ownership.
GWR, which serves Wiltshire, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and South Wales, is due to be nationalised on December 13 as part of the Government’s plans to create Great British Railways.
Mr Sutherland said timetable reductions being introduced by operators including Avanti West Coast and Thameslink were an early indication of how ministers may seek to reduce costs by matching train services more closely to passenger demand.
He said: “There are a lot of services running that really don’t have very much demand for them, so I think over the long term it’s right to begin to match supply and demand.”
Graham Sutherland, chief executive of FirstGroup, which owns Great Western Railway (GWR), said cuts already being introduced on other parts of the rail network could become more widespread as the Government brings train operators under public ownership.
GWR, which serves Wiltshire, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and South Wales, is due to be nationalised on December 13 as part of the Government’s plans to create Great British Railways.
Mr Sutherland said timetable reductions being introduced by operators including Avanti West Coast and Thameslink were an early indication of how ministers may seek to reduce costs by matching train services more closely to passenger demand.
He said: “There are a lot of services running that really don’t have very much demand for them, so I think over the long term it’s right to begin to match supply and demand.”
Sadly, I can't disagree with the risk. Much is unsaid in nationalisation plans - for example there is talk of "a more reliable" service but not of any sort of frequency, and these is talk of a "simplified fare system" without talk of better value / lower fares.
There used to be stats about half the stations generating only 5% of the traffic / income ...
| Re: Fewer trains in the South West when nationalised? Posted by Mark A at 09:07, 21st June 2026 | |
Hmm. 'Match supply and demand' cuts both ways. Many others see a heavily capacity constrained system with a level of provision that ensures that financial instability is baked in.
Mark
| Re: Fewer trains in the South West when nationalised? Posted by John D at 09:24, 21st June 2026 | |
Even though latest quarterly ORR figures show railway as a whole busier than pre-Covid, SWR are still operating some Covid era cuts eg Hounslow loop just half hourly instead of quarter hourly.
It's true that some commuter routes are less busy during school summer holidays, so as per DfT dictat can pare down some routes. Although using same argument some leisure and beach routes are busier, but don't get enhanced service during summer, so is very one sided argument.
SWR has become a fairly uncomfortable Operator, with a pack them in mentality. They have reduced first class on 444s to 2+2 seats (even though many services operated are 2+ hour, and some early and late ones 3+ hour). On commuter services the 2017 ordered 701s have finally entered service replacing 41-44 year old 455s. 701s have just 556 narrow seats, for many years an 8 car 455 had nearer 640 seats.
After a year of nationalisation doesn't appear to be any order for the diesel routes, even though trains already 34-37 years old.
Nationalisation appears to be generic term for make do and mend and expect worst service and comfort.
