‘Defining moment’: UK’s largest train operator enters public ownership Politics Ministers have hailed the nationalisation of the of the largest train franchise as a ‘defining moment’ as the government pushes forward with nationalising the railway. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander hailed the nationalisation of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), with its services accounting for one in six train journeys in the UK. Its four brands, Southern, Thameslink, [...]
Labour is finding that renationalising rail doesn’t make trains come on time Opinion Since returning to public ownership, delays and cancellations on our commuter trains have got worse, not better. So why is Labour doubling down? Asks Thomas Turrell When Labour took South Western Railway into public ownership earlier this year, they promised passengers a new era of punctuality, reliability and accountability. They have failed. Within just a [...]
South Western Railway performance nosedives after nationalisation Transport and infrastructure Performance at South Western Railway has plummeted in the months since it became the first network to be brought under state ownership, piling fresh scrutiny on the government’s nationalisation drive just days after it announced the lines that will be taken public next. Delays and cancellations both rose sharply over the three months after it [...]
Thameslink boss steps down after less than two years July 21, 2025 The chief executive of Go-Ahead, the group which operates London’s Thameslink, Gatwick Express and the Elizabeth Line through a joint venture, has stepped down after less than two years in the role. Miguel Parras has resigned from his role at the Newcastle-headquartered group to “pursue other opportunities” after 20 months. The group has not announced [...]
Thameslink operator slumps into the red ahead of Elizabeth Line takeover June 9, 2025 The operator of London’s Thameslink and Gatwick Express slumped into the red before taking over the Elizabeth Line, it has been revealed. Go-Ahead has reported a pre-tax loss of $36.9m for 2024, having posted a pre-tax profit of $9.7m for the prior 15 months. However, the group pointed to it making a profit after tax [...]