The proportion of late trains on South Western Railway (SWR), the first British rail operator to be re-nationalized, increased to nearly half in its first year under public ownership, according to figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws. Services arriving late surged from 34% to 46% in the six months after the operator was taken under full public ownership in May last year.
While SWR's performance has reportedly improved since then, data indicates that more trains were still arriving late a year after nationalization compared to before. Cancellations also rose during the same period, an increase of 1,000 compared to the year prior to nationalization.
Conservative Party transport spokesman Richard Holden stated that Labour's promises of lower ticket prices, an end to disruption, and better onboard services under state control have not materialized. He argued that the current situation has