South Western Railway (SWR), one of the UK’s busiest rail operators, will start the transition to public ownership on Saturday, 25 May 2025, marking the end of an eight-year franchise operated by FirstGroup and MTR.
The transition will see First MTR South Western Trains Limited move under the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (DfTO), in line with government policy announced in December 2024. The move follows similar changes to other rail franchises in recent years and signals a shift in how the Government manages key transport infrastructure.
SWR operates more than 1,600 services each weekday across South West London, southern England, and the Isle of Wight, carrying over 165 million passengers a year. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, annual passenger numbers had reached 216 million.
During its tenure, FirstGroup oversaw significant investment in the network, including a GBP 70 million refurbishment of the Desiro fleet, the opening of a new depot at Feltham, and the introduction of the new Arterio fleet, which is gradually replacing older trains. Additional upgrades have included station improvements and a GBP 26 million transformation of the Isle of Wight’s Island Line.
Passengers have also seen digital enhancements such as smart ticketing options, Tap2Go fare capping, and most recently, high-speed 5G connectivity introduced across 70km of the route between Basingstoke and Earlsfield.
Despite these improvements, the Department for Transport opted not to extend the current National Rail Contract with FirstGroup. The transition to DfTO is part of a broader strategy to stabilise and reform Britain’s railways while long-term structural changes are still under consideration.
“Passengers have been at the forefront of service improvement throughout our eight-year stewardship of these important routes. We are proud of how SWR brings people together across the south east of England. I would like to thank our SWR passengers for their custom during this time. Above all, I would like to say thanks to our SWR colleagues for their hard work and dedication to our customers. We are supporting DfTO to ensure a smooth transition and wish everyone involved continued success,” First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery said.
Approximately 5,600 staff work at SWR, and efforts are underway to ensure continuity and stability as the operation transitions to public ownership. The government has committed to maintaining services and supporting staff through the handover process.
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