The end for South Western Railway? Grant Shapps says franchise is ‘not sustainable’

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has released an update on the current position of the train operator, South Western Railway.

South Western Railway's financial statements have indicated that the franchise is not sustainable in the long term.

Poor performance, combined with slow income growth, has led to the operator being significantly below expectation since they started the franchise in August 2017.

The operator, however, has not yet failed to meet their commitments and the government will ensure that the operator are held to any obligations that they may have.

However, as a precaution, Grant Shapps' department must prepare a contingency plan. These plans include a new short-term contract or transferring to the Operator of Last Resort.

Grant Shapps has issued a request for proposal to First Group Plc and MTR, who own the SWR franchise and also to the Operator of Last Resort. They will then evaluate the responses to determine the best outcome for passengers.

This will not impact on the day to day operations on the South Western Railway network, with trains operating as normal with no impact on services or staff.

South Western Railway is not alone though, a number of franchises are failing to provide a reliable service to passengers, including Northern and TransPennine Express.

South Western Railway passengers have suffered significant delays due to RMT strike action, with the union balloting this week for more strikes.

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