Train firm GWR 'to be renationalised in a year'

GWR will follow West Midlands Trains, Govia Thameslink Railway and Chiltern Railways in transferring back under public control

Train company GWR (Great Western Railways) will be returned to public ownership "in about a year's time", one of its bosses has said.

The operator, which runs services across the south-west of England, Wales and to London, is expected to be among the next four operators named in the government's plan to nationalise nearly all rail services in England by 2027.

Managing director Mark Hopwood made the announcement ahead of Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's speech at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday.

Of the changes, Mr Hopwood said: "My priority is running the railway for its customers and the community."

Started in 2025 and expected to finish in 2027, the nationalisation process comes under the Rail Public Ownership Bill, which was the first major piece of legislation passed by the Labour government when it came to power last year.

The bill allows ministers to take operators back into public control as their contracts expire.

GWR is expected to follow West Midlands Trains, Govia Thameslink Railway and Chiltern Railways in transferring.

Legislation to establish Great British Railways, the new organisation which will take responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the railways, will be introduced before the end of the year, according to the Department for Transport.

'Teething problems'

Having joined the rail industry before it was privatised in the 1990s, Mr Hopwood told BBC Radio Cornwall that he had seen things go "full circle".

He said his concern was building on the "big improvements we've seen in the last decade, with trains running almost every half hour for most of the day".

He added: "However, customers are quite rightly still concerned about punctuality and reliability, and we've had one or two teething problems, such as with new signalling kit.

"But, hopefully, that will settle down sometime, even if the weather can be a challenge.

Mr Hopwood added: "There are more people travelling by train in Cornwall now than ever before and we want those numbers to carry on growing."