{"id":438887,"date":"2026-05-26T19:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T09:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=193814"},"modified":"2026-05-26T19:02:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T09:02:00","slug":"more-new-trains-better-journeys-swr-celebrates-one-year-in-public-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=438887","title":{"rendered":"More new trains, better journeys: SWR celebrates one year in public ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Passengers travelling to London Waterloo from key commuter towns such as Windsor, Woking and Wimbledon are benefiting from increased capacity and more comfortable journeys one year after South Western Railway\u2019s (SWR) services entered public ownership. <\/p>\n

SWR was the first train operating company to enter public control<\/a> under the Public Ownership Act last May, kick starting the end of almost 30 years of fragmentation and waste under privatisation.  <\/p>\n

To celebrate the milestone, the Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy unveiled a GBR branded train \u2013 an Arterio operated by SWR at London Waterloo station on 22 May.  <\/p>\n

Thanks to public ownership, the Government and SWR leadership sped up the introduction of new Arterio trains and accelerated driver training after years of delay, significantly boosting capacity and comfort for passengers across the network. <\/p>\n

This crucial change resulted in 39 new trains entering service since May last year. As a result, the number of seats and space on board suburban services into London Waterloo has increased by 27%, with even greater increases on other routes, including Aldershot via Ascot (55%) Windsor (42%), Shepperton (32%), Dorking (30%) and Hampton Court (28%). <\/p>\n

SWR is now on track to have 50 Arterios in service, which can carry double the number of passengers than the trains they are replacing, have faster acceleration and braking speeds, free wifi, charging points and improved air conditioning \u2013 perfect for summer journeys. <\/p>\n

Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister, said:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cOne year on from the first train operations entering public ownership, passengers are seeing and feeling the difference. Modern trains, more seats and greater capacity are restoring confidence in the railway and showing what can be achieved when we put passengers first rather than profit.  <\/p>\n

\u201cThe rapid roll\u2011out of the South Western Railway Arterio fleet is a clear example of how nationalisation is cutting red tape that held the railway back for decades. These trains are transforming journeys for hundreds of thousands of people every day.  <\/p>\n

\u201cThis milestone marks real progress towards a genuinely integrated railway under Great British Railways \u2013 a railway that\u2019s improving and supporting economic growth, jobs and homes.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lawrence Bowman, Managing Director, SWR and Network Rail Wessex<\/strong>, said:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re fast approaching the milestone of 50 Arterio diagrams in daily service, meaning most of our suburban customers are likely to catch an Arterio for their morning commute, with some of our key routes now exclusively served by the new trains. <\/p>\n

\u201cCompleting the rollout is a key step in our plans to improve our railway, which include a programme of major infrastructure upgrades, recruiting more traincrew, recovering quicker and keeping customers better informed during significant disruption and consulting on a full timetable refresh later this year. <\/p>\n

\u201cImproving our railway will take time and we have a lot more to do but we are making steady progress towards building a more reliable and resilient railway for the future.\u201d <\/p>\n

Alex Hynes, CEO of DFTO said:<\/strong>  <\/p>\n

\u201cSince entering public ownership, SWR has driven better and closer working with Network Rail. <\/p>\n

\u201cBy bringing track and train together, an empowered and united leadership team has been able to go further, making decisions that are right for their customers and communities.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Arterio trains are delivering greater capacity and comfort for SWR\u2019s customers and completing the roll out will unlock more vital improvements.\u201d <\/p>\n

The full fleet of 90 Arterio trains is expected to be in service by early 2027 and also has real-time passenger information and fully accessible toilets. The train\u2019s greater capacity reduces overcrowding and speeds up boarding, helping prevent the small delays that can accumulate throughout the day. <\/p>\n

As well as introducing the Arterios, South Western\u2019s is making other significant improvements for passengers: <\/p>\n