Thameslink and Southern Railway to be nationalised in May 2026
The next rail groups to enter government control have been announced with Thameslink and Southern to be nationalised on 31 May 2026.
That move which also includes Great Northern and Gatwick Express follows West Midlands Trains services on 1 February 2026 and Greater Anglia on 12 October 2025.
That would then see eight out of ten under government control in advance of Great British Railways.
I’m not sure many will lament Thameslink given constant cancellations remain an issue years after work in the central London core was complete.
Improvements?
Government are of course hailing this as a big success but that’s half the story as we’ve seen all too clearly at Southeastern, which has been under direct government control since 2022 firstly under the Tories and now under Labour. Many cuts were made in 2022 many of which still remain.
This December’s timetable which runs until May 2026 sees no restoration of the Sunday trains between Charlton and Lewisham, no off-peak return to six trains per hour via Greenwich, no fasts on the Sidcup line and half the level of Charing Cross services along the Eltham line.
Saturday services between Victoria and Orpington also remain every half an hour which is half the level before cuts. Thus after almost two years in power Labour would have retained many reductions in service seen under the last government despite solid growth and thousands of new homes built around many stations.
Combined failings
Thameslink’s ongoing problems compound Southeastern’s reduced services. That problem’s often evident along the Greenwich line with services between major growth areas of north Kent and the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood. This is a common occurrence. A cancelled Thameslink between two short Southeastern morning peak trains.
Hopefully there can be closer working between Southeaster and Thameslink to work a bit better between north Kent and the Woolwich line under one leading mind.
Low staffing levels also remains a chronic issue across Southeastern Metro including those same areas of major housing growth.
New trains are also still unconfirmed three years after a tender was announced and a 2022 timeline for introduction is never going to be met even if an order was confirmed tomorrow.
So with all that in mind is government control a fix all? Of course not if government is still intent on retaining cuts in spend and investment.
That’s not to say many benefits cannot be derived including a more streamlined method of operation to gain savings and efficient working between operators and Network Rail, though there’s scant evidence yet that means lower fares or better services rather than the Department for Transport and Treasury obtaining the cash.
As ever structure is key as is funding – and this government like the last have shown little interest in that on companies under government control for some time.
When Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander – who also approved more cuts recently to infrastructure across the country including plans for Peckham Rye station and Midland Mainline electrification – is proclaiming benefits in coming days remember those rail groups already under government control for years now have yet to produce much in the way of benefits for many passengers.
Does that include Great Northern and Gatwick Express and to be the end of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) “Thameslink Southern and Great Northern”. And other train operators to be nationalised including Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, TransPennine Express and Northern. With Greater Anglia to be nationalised from 12th October.
So this could be the end of Govia Thameslink Railway since they took over in 2016 from First Capital Connect. And GTR ordered the Class 700 Desiro City that have replaced the Class 319 on the Thameslink core.
And the Class 717 on the Great Northern Northern City Line and Hertford Loop Line that have replaced the Class 313. And the Class 700 are still going strong and next year they be celebrating their 10th birthday since they entered service in June 2016.
Maybe Southern could order new trains to use them on the Caterham, Tattenham Corner and East Grinstead routes and to keep the Class 171 that are currently used on the Uckfield Line and Marshlink Line that aren’t electrified. And new trains to operate on the East Coastway Line and West Coastway Line since Southern got rid of the Class 313.
Privatisation or nationalisation, Thameslink will still suffer the same flaws, nothing substantial will change.
What the Woolwich line needs is getting rid of the Thameslink, it’s an unreliable service, restoring the Charing Cross service to Gillingham/Rainham, have 6tph to Cannon Street via Greenwich.
Of course Steve Wright would rather loose passengers to the EL than reintroduce CHX trains on the Woolwich line, the Eltham line has At least 1tph to CHX plus the train to Victoria so I’m not concerned about that line.
Thameslink Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) once it’s been nationalised from May 31st 2026 and to be taken over by Department for Transport. It will become part of Great British Railways. And it won’t change much apart from Govia Thameslink Railway to go extinct on that day.