First Group has thanked passengers and celebrated its achievements ahead of South Western Railway‘s transfer into public ownership.

First Group and MTR have operated the South Western Railway franchise since 2017 to provide regional, commuter and long distance services across the South West as well as the Isle of Wight.

More than 1,600 services operated each weekday and now has a workforce of 5,600 employees.

South Western Trains Limited will transfer over to public ownership on the 25th May and will be operated by DfT Operator in line with plans announced in December 2024.

The operator has seen the slower-than-planned introduction Arterio fleet as well as the refurbishment of its Desiro fleet.

On the Isle of Wight, a full fleet of new trains have been introduced as well as refurbished stations as well as Ryde Pier.

First Group says that they are working with the DfTO to ensure a smooth transition across to public ownership.

First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery said: “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.

“Improving the infrastructure, customer experience and rolling stock across the service has enabled us to deliver for our passengers, who make 165m journeys each year. Right up until the final weeks we have continued to innovate, with a new fast Wi-Fi service being rolled out.

“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 and recognise the important role all those across the business have played in delivering these improvements to the service. We are supporting DfTO to ensure a smooth transition and we wish passengers, partners and colleagues every success for the future.”