South Western Railway (2025)

South Western Railway

Overview
Main region(s)	Greater London South East England South West England
Parent company	DfT Operator
Reporting mark	SW
Predecessor	South Western Railway
Other
Website	www.southwesternrailway.com

South Western Railway is a future train operating company that will take over the services of the operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR Corporation on 26 May 2025.

History

In the lead up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Labour Party of Keir Starmer committed itself to bring the passenger operations of the British rail network back under state ownership. Following its election in 2024, the government introduced the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 that received the royal assent in November 2024.

In December 2024, it was announced that the FirstGroup / MTR Corporation operated South Western Railway National Rail Contract would not be renewed when it expired, with DfT Operator to take over on 26 May 2025.

Rolling stock

fleet

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes	Built
				mph	km/h
South Western Railway
Sprinter	158 Express Sprinter		DMU	90	145	8	2	London Waterloo – Exeter St Davids Romsey – Salisbury via Southampton Central	1989–1992
	159 South Western Turbo					29	3	West of England, Heart of Wessex and Wessex Main Lines: London Waterloo – Exeter St Davids	159/0: 1992–1993 159/1: converted 2006–2007
Siemens Desiro	444		EMU	100	160	45	5	London Waterloo – Weymouth and Poole London Waterloo – Portsmouth Harbour (shared with Class 450s) London Waterloo – Alton (shared with Class 450s) London Waterloo – Basingstoke (shared with Class 450s)	2003–2004
	450					127	4	London Waterloo – Portsmouth Harbour, Alton, Basingstoke or Reading Southampton Central – Portsmouth & Southsea Brockenhurst – Lymington Pier Winchester – Bournemouth Outer suburban routes: London Waterloo – Windsor & Eton Riverside, Weybridge via Staines London Waterloo via Hounslow Ascot – Guildford Some express and inner suburban services	2002–2006
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	455			75	120	83	4	Inner suburban routes: London Waterloo – Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill London Waterloo – Dorking, Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside	1982–1985
Alstom Coradia Juniper	458/4					20	5	Outer suburban services: London Waterloo – Weybridge, Teddington or Windsor & Eton Riverside, Inner suburban services (Occasionally)	2013–2016 (1998–2002 as 458/0) (2000–2001 as 460)
	458/5
Bombardier Aventra	701/0 Arterio			100	160	60	10	Reading, Windsor and south west London suburban services	2019–2024
	701/5 Arterio					30	5
Island Line
Vivarail D-Train	484		EMU	60	100	5	2	Island Line: Ryde Pier Head – Shanklin	1978–1981 (as D78 Stock) Converted 2020–2021