SWR has got a new train to mark its first day in public ownership
New SWR train unveiled at London Waterloo(Image: Department for Transport)
Passengers travelling to London Waterloo from Woking and Guildford should see increased capacity as brand new trains are unveiled for the route.
To mark one year since South Western Railway entered public ownership Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy unveiled a GBR branded train – an Arterio operated by SWR at London Waterloo station on May 22.
Since May last year 39 new trains have entered service, boosting the number of seats and space on board suburban services into London Waterloo by 27%, with even greater increases on other routes, including Aldershot via Ascot (55%) Windsor (42%), Shepperton (32%), Dorking (30%) and Hampton Court (28%).
Lord Peter Hendy, Rail Minister, said: “One year on from the first train operations entering public ownership, passengers are seeing and feeling the difference.
“Modern trains, more seats and greater capacity are restoring confidence in the railway and showing what can be achieved when we put passengers first rather than profit.
“The rapid roll‑out of the South Western Railway Arterio fleet is a clear example of how nationalisation is cutting red tape that held the railway back for decades. These trains are transforming journeys for hundreds of thousands of people every day.
“This milestone marks real progress towards a genuinely integrated railway under Great British Railways – a railway that’s improving and supporting economic growth, jobs and homes.”
The rail operator says it is on track to soon have 50 Arterios in service. These newer types of train are meant to be faster, as well as have improved air conditioning and real-time passenger information.
Lawrence Bowman, Managing Director, SWR and Network Rail Wessex, said: “We’re fast approaching the milestone of 50 Arterio diagrams in daily service, meaning most of our suburban customers are likely to catch an Arterio for their morning commute, with some of our key routes now exclusively served by the new trains.
“Completing the rollout is a key step in our plans to improve our railway, which include a programme of major infrastructure upgrades, recruiting more traincrew, recovering quicker and keeping customers better informed during significant disruption and consulting on a full timetable refresh later this year.
“Improving our railway will take time and we have a lot more to do but we are making steady progress towards building a more reliable and resilient railway for the future.”