South Western Railway has expanded passenger capacity and accelerated fleet upgrades one year after becoming the first operator brought into public ownership.
South Western Railway has expanded passenger capacity and accelerated the rollout of new trains one year after becoming the first train operator to enter public ownership under the Public Ownership Act.
The milestone was marked at London Waterloo station, where Rail Minister Peter Hendy unveiled a Great British Railways branded Arterio train on 22 May.
South Western Railway expands capacity after public ownership transition
According to the operator, the introduction of new Arterio trains has significantly increased passenger capacity and improved comfort across key commuter routes into London Waterloo.
Since May last year, 39 new Arterio trains have entered service across the network.
South Western Railway stated that suburban services into London Waterloo now provide 27 per cent more seats and standing space compared with previous operations.
Additional capacity improvements have also been introduced on several regional routes, including services to Windsor, Aldershot via Ascot, Shepperton, Dorking and Hampton Court.
The operator is now preparing to introduce 50 Arterio train diagrams into daily operation, with the full fleet of 90 trains expected to enter service by early 2027.
The Arterio trains can carry almost double the number of passengers compared with older rolling stock and feature faster acceleration and braking systems, free Wi-Fi, charging points, improved air conditioning and accessible facilities.
Peter Hendy said the expansion demonstrates how public ownership is helping modernise the railway while improving passenger experience and operational capacity.
South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex Managing Director Lawrence Bowman said most suburban passengers are now likely to travel on an Arterio service during their daily commute.
He added that the fleet rollout forms part of a wider strategy focused on improving reliability, operational resilience and customer communication during disruption.
Alongside the Arterio programme, South Western Railway is progressing several infrastructure and technology upgrades across the network.
Projects include a £129 million resignalling programme between Farncombe and Petersfield, renewal works at Queenstown Road and a £120 million signal replacement programme in the Havant area.
The operator is also deploying thermal imaging cameras and drone technology to improve infrastructure monitoring and reduce disruption caused by track defects and operational incidents.
Additional passenger improvements include accessibility upgrades at ten stations, improved onboard Wi-Fi systems and consultation plans for a future timetable refresh.
According to the Department for Transport Operator, publicly owned rail operators are currently outperforming privately operated services on punctuality and cancellation performance across parts of the national network.
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