South Western Railway

British train operating company

For the previous franchise holder, see South Western Railway (2017–2025). For other uses, see South Western Railway (disambiguation).

South Western Railway

A South Western Railway Class 701 at Kingston in May 2025

Overview
Main region(s)|

* Greater London
* South East England
* South West England

Fleet|

* Class 158 Express Sprinter
* Class 159 South Western Turbo
* Class 444 Desiro
* Class 450 Desiro
* Class 455
* Class 458 Juniper
* Class 484 D-Train
* Class 701 Arterio

Parent company| DfT Operator
Headquarters| London
Reporting mark| SW
Predecessor| South Western Railway (First MTR)
Other
Website| www.southwesternrailway.com

South Western Railway is a British train operating company that operates commuter services from its Central London terminus at London Waterloo to south west London, suburban services in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset, as well as regional services in Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire. Under the brand Island Line, it operates services on the Isle of Wight.

Registered as South Western Railway Limited,[1] it is a state-owned company which took over the services on 25 May 2025 from the franchise operator of the same name owned by FirstGroup and MTR Corporation.

## History

[edit]

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.[2][3] Following its election win, the Labour government introduced the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, which received royal assent in November 2024.[4][5]

In December 2024, it was announced that the South Western Railway National Rail Contract operated by FirstGroup and MTR Corporation would not be renewed when it expired. Consequently, DfT Operator took over operation of the services on 25 May 2025.[6][7][8][9]

## Services

[edit]

South Western Railway is the main operator for western Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and also serves Greater London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon.

Most SWR services run on electrified lines using the 750 V DC third rail system. There is a diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Salisbury and Exeter, using the unelectrified track beyond Worting Junction just west of Basingstoke, and for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey services which also serve Eastleigh.

From London Waterloo, SWR's London terminus, long-distance trains run to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. There are also trains to Reading and Exeter, but these are not the principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from London Paddington by Great Western Railway. The majority of SWR's passengers are on suburban commuter lines in inner and south-west London, Surrey, east Berkshire, and north-east Hampshire.

As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles are banned from peak-time trains to and from London. However, these restrictions apply only to cyclists boarding or alighting in the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking, in order to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains.[10]

### Mainline services

[edit]

SWR operates regular services on four mainline routes:[11][12]

* The South West Main Line (SWML) runs between London Waterloo and the town of Weymouth; the route passes through several large towns and cities, including Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester. South Western Railway operates trains along the entire length of the line. Almost all trains operated by the company start from or terminate at Waterloo with the exception of a Winchester – Bournemouth / Poole stopping service; these include semi-fast services to/from Southampton and Poole, and express services to/from Weymouth. There are also trains to and from Portsmouth, which branch off the SWML at Eastleigh, then proceed via the Eastleigh to Fareham and West Coastway lines to Portsmouth Harbour station.
* The Portsmouth Direct line branches off the SWML at Woking and runs to Portsmouth via Guildford, Haslemere, Petersfield and Havant. South Western Railway operates all passenger trains on this route; these include fast and semi-fast services between London and Portsmouth, and semi-fast services as far as Haslemere.
* The West of England line is the only mainline route that is not fully electrified.[13] It leaves the SWML at Basingstoke and runs to Exeter via Andover, Salisbury, Gillingham and Yeovil. South Western Railway is the only operator on the line, with most services running between London and either Salisbury or Exeter St Davids. Some peak-time services terminate at various other destinations on the line, including Gillingham and Yeovil Pen Mill.
* The Alton line leaves the SWML at Brookwood (just after Woking) and runs to Alton via Aldershot and Farnham. It is the shortest of the four mainline routes and as such it is sometimes considered an outer suburban route instead (however for ticketing purposes, it is classed as a mainline route). Services usually run the full length of the line between London and Alton, though some services terminate at Farnham.

In total, as of 2021[update], there were 14 mainline trains per hour departing London Waterloo in the off-peak hours; this number increases in the peak hours.[12] The majority of mainline services are operated by Class 444 or Class 450 EMUs, except for the West of England Main Line which is operated by Class 158 or Class 159 DMUs (because it is unelectrified), and the Alton Line which also sees the occasional use of Class 458 units.

### Metro and suburban services

[edit]

South Western Railway also operates many suburban "Metro" services in and around London. These run between Waterloo and Clapham Junction, where they split into two routes: via Putney and via Wimbledon.[11] All services on the suburban part of the network are operated by Class 450, Class 455, Class 458 and Class 701 electric multiple units.

#### Via Putney

[edit]

The main route via Putney is known as the Waterloo to Reading Line. It runs between London and Reading and passes through towns such as Staines-upon-Thames, Ascot and Bracknell. It operates as a fast service as far as Staines, with Reading trains only calling at Clapham Junction, Richmond, Twickenham and Feltham. Branch lines on this route include:[11][12]

* The Hounslow Loop Line, which leaves the main line at Barnes, runs via Brentford and rejoins the line between Whitton and Feltham (with junctions in both directions). Most services on the branch run either between London and Weybridge (described below), or run in a loop from Waterloo to Waterloo via Brentford, Whitton and Richmond (both clockwise and anticlockwise).
* The Kingston Loop Line, which branches off at Twickenham, runs via Kingston and joins the South West Main Line at New Malden. Most services on this line run in an anticlockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Putney, Strawberry Hill, Kingston and Wimbledon.
* There is also a branch line to Shepperton, however, this is only served by Putney trains at peak times.
* The Staines to Windsor Line, which branches off the main line at Staines-upon-Thames and runs to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. Most services run semi-fast between London and Windsor.
* The Chertsey Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Virginia Water and runs to Weybridge. Most services on the line run between London and Weybridge via the Hounslow Loop Line; a few services are extended beyond Weybridge, to and from Woking.
* The Ascot to Guildford Line, which is only served by through trains at peak times; these services run between London and Aldershot.

A total of 12 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Putney in the off-peak hours, as of 2021[update]; this number increases in peak hours.[12]

#### Via Wimbledon

[edit]

The main route via Wimbledon uses the slow tracks of the quadruple-track South West Main Line. Suburban trains run along the mainline between London and Woking. Branch lines on this route include:[11][12]

* The Mole Valley Line, which branches off the main line at Raynes Park and runs via Epsom to Leatherhead, where it splits into two lines: one to Guildford, and one to Horsham via Dorking. SWR runs regular services to both Guildford and Dorking; the section between Dorking and Horsham is operated by Southern.[14]
* The Chessington Branch Line leaves the Mole Valley Line at Motspur Park and runs to Chessington.
* The Kingston Loop Line, which leaves the SWML at New Malden, runs via Kingston and joins the Waterloo to Reading line at Twickenham. Most services on this line run in a clockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Wimbledon, Kingston, Strawberry Hill and Putney.
* The Shepperton Branch Line, which branches off the Kingston Loop Line at Teddington. Most services on the branch line run between Waterloo and Shepperton via Wimbledon.
* The Hampton Court Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Surbiton and runs directly to Hampton Court.
* The New Guildford Line, which also branches off at Surbiton, running to Guildford via Claygate. The line joins the Guildford branch of the Mole Valley Line at Effingham Junction.

A total of 16 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Wimbledon in the off-peak hours, as of 2021[update]; this number increases in peak hours.[12]

### Other services

[edit]

Routes that do not start or terminate at London Waterloo include:[11][12]

* The Ascot to Guildford Line, which runs between Ascot and Guildford via Aldershot. Most services on the line run only between Ascot and Guildford, with no extension in either direction; however, some peak-time services run between London and Farnham via Ascot. The shuttle services are usually operated by Class 450 units.
* The western section of the West Coastway Line between Portsmouth and Southampton. Class 450 units are usually in operation on this route.
* The Eastleigh–Romsey line between Romsey and Eastleigh. Services on the line are extended beyond Eastleigh to and from Salisbury via Southampton Central and Romsey, in effect calling at Romsey twice. These services are operated by Class 158 units.
* The Wessex Main Line between Salisbury and Southampton. Services are extended beyond Southampton via the Eastleigh to Romsey Line, as described above.
* The Lymington Branch Line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier runs every 30 minutes between these two stations. These services are operated by a single Class 450 unit.
* The Island Line on the Isle of Wight, between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. These services are operated by Class 484 units, converted from London Underground D78 Stock.

### Service table

[edit]

As of May 2025, SWR routes off-peak Monday to Friday, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include:[15]

Mainline services

Route  | tph  | Calling at
London Waterloo to Weymouth | 1 |

* Woking
* Winchester
* Southampton Airport Parkway
* Southampton Central
* Brockenhurst
* Bournemouth
* Branksome
* Parkstone
* Poole
* Hamworthy
* Wareham
* Dorchester South

1 |

* Clapham Junction[a]
* Basingstoke
* Winchester
* Southampton Airport Parkway
* Southampton Central
* Brockenhurst
* New Milton
* Christchurch
* Pokesdown
* Bournemouth
* Poole
* Hamworthy
* Holton Heath
* Wareham
* Wool
* Moreton
* Dorchester South
* Upwey

* This route splits/merges at Bournemouth with the route to Poole, see below.

London Waterloo to Poole | 1 |

* Clapham Junction[a]
* Basingstoke
* Winchester
* Southampton Airport Parkway
* Southampton Central
* Brockenhurst
* New Milton
* Christchurch
* Pokesdown
* Bournemouth
* Branksome
* Parkstone

* This route splits/merges at Bournemouth with the route to Weymouth, see above.

London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour | 1 |

* Woking
* Farnborough (Main)
* Fleet
* Basingstoke
* Micheldever
* Winchester
* Eastleigh
* Hedge End
* Botley
* Fareham
* Portchester
* Cosham
* Hilsea
* Fratton
* Portsmouth & Southsea

1 |

* Woking
* Guildford
* Godalming
* Haslemere
* Petersfield
* Havant
* Fratton
* Portsmouth & Southsea

1 |

* Woking
* Guildford
* Farncombe
* Godalming
* Haslemere
* Liphook
* Liss
* Petersfield
* Rowlands Castle
* Havant
* Bedhampton
* Hilsea
* Fratton
* Portsmouth & Southsea

London Waterloo to Haslemere | 1 |

* Clapham Junction
* Woking
* Worplesdon
* Guildford
* Farncombe
* Godalming
* Milford
* Witley

London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids | 1 |

* Clapham Junction
* Woking
* Basingstoke
* Andover
* Salisbury
* Tisbury
* Gillingham
* Templecombe
* Sherborne
* Yeovil Junction
* Crewkerne
* Axminster
* Honiton
* Feniton (1tp2h)
* Whimple (1tp2h)
* Cranbrook
* Pinhoe
* Exeter Central

* Feniton and Whimple are served by alternating trains.

London Waterloo to Salisbury | 1 |

* Woking
* Basingstoke
* Overton
* Whitchurch
* Andover
* Grateley

* 2 trains extend to Yeovil Junction, calling at
* Warminster, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, and Yeovil Pen Mill.

London Waterloo to Basingstoke | 2 |

* Clapham Junction[a] (1tph)
* Surbiton
* Walton-on-Thames
* Weybridge
* Woking
* Brookwood
* Farnborough (Main)
* Fleet
* Winchfield
* Hook

London Waterloo to Alton | 2 |

* Clapham Junction[a]
* Surbiton
* West Byfleet
* Woking
* Brookwood
* Ash Vale
* Aldershot
* Farnham
* Bentley (1tph)

Winchester to Southampton Central | 1 |

* Shawford
* Eastleigh
* Southampton Airport Parkway

* northbound service runs through Southampton from Bournemouth

Southampton Central to Bournemouth | 1 |

* Totton
* Ashurst New Forest
* Beaulieu Road
* Brockenhurst
* Sway
* New Milton
* Hinton Admiral
* Christchurch
* Pokesdown

* northbound service runs through Southampton to Winchester

Metro and Suburban services (via Putney)
Route  | tph  | Calling at
London Waterloo to Reading | 2 |

* Clapham Junction
* Richmond
* Twickenham
* Feltham
* Staines
* Egham
* Virginia Water
* Longcross
* Sunningdale
* Ascot
* Martins Heron
* Bracknell
* Wokingham
* Winnersh
* Winnersh Triangle
* Earley

London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Putney
* Richmond
* Twickenham
* Whitton
* Feltham
* Ashford
* Staines
* Wraysbury
* Sunnymeads
* Datchet

London Waterloo to Weybridge | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Queenstown Road
* Clapham Junction
* Wandsworth Town
* Putney
* Barnes
* Barnes Bridge
* Chiswick
* Kew Bridge
* Brentford
* Syon Lane
* Isleworth
* Hounslow
* Feltham
* Ashford
* Staines
* Egham
* Virginia Water
* Chertsey
* Addlestone

London Waterloo to London Waterloo
via Kingston (anticlockwise) | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Queenstown Road
* Clapham Junction
* Wandsworth Town
* Putney
* Barnes
* Mortlake
* North Sheen
* Richmond
* St Margarets
* Twickenham
* Strawberry Hill
* Teddington
* Hampton Wick
* Kingston...

* Services continue to London Waterloo via Wimbledon (see below)

Metro and Suburban services (via Wimbledon)
Route  | tph  | Calling at
London Waterloo to London Waterloo
via Kingston (clockwise) | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* New Malden
* Norbiton
* Kingston...

* Services continue to London Waterloo via Putney (see above)

London Waterloo to Shepperton | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* New Malden
* Norbiton
* Kingston
* Hampton Wick
* Teddington
* Fulwell
* Hampton
* Kempton Park
* Sunbury
* Upper Halliford

London Waterloo to Hampton Court | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* New Malden
* Berrylands
* Surbiton
* Thames Ditton

London Waterloo to Woking | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Surbiton
* Esher
* Hersham
* Walton-on-Thames
* Weybridge
* Byfleet & New Haw
* West Byfleet

London Waterloo to Guildford | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Surbiton
* Hinchley Wood
* Claygate
* Oxshott
* Cobham & Stoke d'Abernon
* Effingham Junction
* Horsley
* Clandon
* London Road (Guildford)

1 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* Motspur Park
* Worcester Park
* Stoneleigh
* Ewell West
* Epsom
* Ashtead
* Leatherhead
* Bookham
* Effingham Junction
* Horsley
* Clandon
* London Road (Guildford)

London Waterloo to Dorking | 1 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* Motspur Park
* Worcester Park
* Stoneleigh
* Ewell West
* Epsom
* Ashtead
* Leatherhead
* Box Hill & Westhumble

London Waterloo to Chessington South | 2 |

* Vauxhall
* Clapham Junction
* Earlsfield
* Wimbledon
* Raynes Park
* Motspur Park
* Malden Manor
* Tolworth
* Chessington North

Other services
Route  | tph  | Calling at
Ascot to Aldershot | 2 |

* Bagshot
* Camberley
* Frimley
* Ash Vale

Guildford to Farnham | 2 |

* Wanborough
* Ash
* Aldershot

Southampton Central to Portsmouth & Southsea | 1 |

* St Denys
* Bitterne
* Woolston
* Sholing
* Netley
* Hamble
* Bursledon
* Swanwick
* Fareham
* Portchester
* Cosham
* Hilsea
* Fratton

Romsey to Salisbury | 1 |

* Chandler's Ford
* Eastleigh
* Southampton Airport Parkway
* Swaythling
* St Denys
* Southampton Central
* Millbrook
* Redbridge
* Romsey
* Mottisfont & Dunbridge
* Dean

Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier | 2 | Lymington Town
Island Line
Route  | tph  | Calling at
Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head | 3⁄2 |

* Lake
* Sandown
* Brading
* Ryde St John's Road
* Ryde Esplanade

* Services also call at Smallbrook Junction when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is running services.

## Rolling stock

[edit]

South Western Railway Limited inherited a fleet of Classes 158, 159, 444, 450, 455, 458 and 701 from FirstMTR South Western Railway.

### Current fleet

[edit]

Family  | Class  | Image  | Type  | Top speed  | Number  | Carriages  | Routes  | Built

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

mph  | km/h
South Western Railway
Sprinter | 158 Express Sprinter |  | DMU | 90  | 145  | 8[16] | 2  |

* London Waterloo - Exeter St Davids
* Romsey - Salisbury via Southampton Central

| 1989–1992

159 South Western Turbo |  | 29[17][18] | 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)

| 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  | 79[19] | 4  | Inner suburban routes:

* London Waterloo  - Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking
* London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill
* London Waterloo  - Dorking, Guildford via Cobham & Stoke D'Abernon or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside

| 1982–1985

Alstom Coradia Juniper | 458/4 |  | 100  | 160  | 28[20] | 4  | 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 |  | 75  | 120  | 4[21] | 5

Bombardier Aventra | 701/0 Arterio |  | 100  | 160  | 60  | 10  | Reading, Windsor and south west London suburban services  | 2019–2024[22]
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

## Depots

[edit]

The following train depots and stabling sidings are used for the South Western Railway fleet:

* Bournemouth Depot is southwest of Bournemouth station, occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West.
* Farnham Traincare Depot, in Weydon Lane, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937.[23]
* Feltham Depot was completed in 2021; it is intended to provide stabling for the Class 701 units.[24]
* Fratton Traincare Depot is located on central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station.
* Northam Traincare Facility was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of a 20-year maintenance contract.[25] It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium.
* Ryde Traincare Depot, alongside Ryde St John's Road on the Isle of Wight services the Class 484 units that operate on the Island Line.[26][27][28]
* Salisbury Depot maintains the Class 158 and Class 159 fleet.[29]
* Strawberry Hill Train Maintenance Depot in south west London, was built in 1897, is inside the triangular junction of the Shepperton Branch Line with the Kingston Loop Line, just yards from Strawberry Hill railway station.
* Wimbledon Traincare Depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Passengers may only board services from London. Passengers may both board and alight services to Waterloo.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "South Western Railway Limited". Companies House. HM Government. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
2. ^ "Labour promises rail nationalisation within five years of coming to power". The Guardian. 25 April 2024.
3. ^ "Labour pledges to renationalise most rail services within five years". BBC News. 26 April 2024.
4. ^ Maddox, David (4 September 2024). "Rail nationalisation takes a step closer under Starmer's first major public reform in Commons victory". The Independent. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
5. ^ "Government reveals first three operators to be renationalised after law change". Railnews. 4 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024.
6. ^ "South Western Railway, c2c and Greater Anglia to be nationalised in 2025". City AM. 4 December 2024.
7. ^ "Operators to move in-house every three months". Rail. No. 1024\. 11 December 2024. p. 14.
8. ^ "South Western Railway to return to public ownership". Rail Express. No. 344\. January 2025. p. 11.
9. ^ "South Western Railway first rail firm renationalised by Labour". BBC News. 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
10. ^ "Travelling with a bike". South Western Railway. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
11. ^ a b c d e "Network map". South Western Railway. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
12. ^ a b c d e f g "Train Timetable". South Western Railway. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
13. ^ "Wessex Route" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
14. ^ "Where We Travel To | Train Journey Planner". Southern Railway. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
15. ^ "Train Timetable". South Western Railway. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
16. ^ "Class 158". Southwestern Railway. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
17. ^ "Class 159 information page". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
18. ^ "17, 25, 32, 34". Rail Accident Investigation Interim Report IR1/2022: Collision between passenger trains at Salisbury Tunnel Junction, 31 October 2021 (PDF) (Report). Derby: Rail Accident Investigation Branch. February 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
19. ^ Milner, Chris (August 2025). "Class 455s to cling on a little longer". Headline News. Rail Express. No. 351\. p. 11.
20. ^ Pritchard, Robert; Beardsley, Ian (February 2025). "Alstom marks completion of 458/4 refurbishment". Rolling Stock News. Today's Railways UK. No. 276\. p. 59.
21. ^ Russell, David (June 2025). "Class 458 Juniper". Units. Rail Express. No. 349\. p. 23.
22. ^ "First of £1bn Arterio trains completes inaugural journey". BBC News. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
23. ^ Railway Gazette, 1937[full citation needed]
24. ^ "Feltham depot - VolkerFitzpatrick". VolkerFitzpatrick. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
25. ^ "City Beam fleet complete as last two trains come into customer service". Southeastern Media Centre. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
26. ^ Hardy, Brian (2003). Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight. Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. p. 76\. ISBN 1-85414-276-3.
27. ^ "Isle of Wight Steam Railway - motive". Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
28. ^ Marsden, Colin J. (1987). BR Depots. Motive power recognition. Vol. 6\. Ian Allan Ltd. pp. 94–95\. ISBN 9780711017191. OCLC 18685680.
29. ^ Clifton, Paul (27 November 2024). "New sanders boost braking on SWR passenger units". Network News. Rail. No. 1023\. p. 17.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Western Railway.

* Official website

Preceded by

South Western Railway (2017–2025)

|  Operator of South Western franchise
2025–present  |  Succeeded by

Incumbent

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Train operating companies in the United Kingdom

* Rail transport in Great Britain
* Rail transport in Northern Ireland
* Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain

Current

| National|

* Arriva Rail London
* Avanti West Coast
* c2c1
* Caledonian Sleeper4
* Chiltern Railways
* CrossCountry
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* Govia Thameslink Railway
* Grand Central2
* Greater Anglia
* Great Western Railway
* GTS Rail Operations
* Heathrow Express2
* Hull Trains2
* London North Eastern Railway1
* Lumo2
* Merseyrail
* NI Railways3
* Northern1
* ScotRail4
* Southeastern1
* South Western Railway1
* TransPennine Express1
* Transport for Wales5
* West Midlands Trains

|

International|

* Enterprise3
* Eurostar

Sub-brands|

* Gatwick Express
* Great Northern
* Island Line1
* London Northwestern Railway
* Night Riviera
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Operators not subject to franchising or concession:

* 1 Owned by the UK Government
* 2 Open-access operator
* 3 Operates on the Irish railway network and state-owned
* 4 Owned by the Scottish Government
* 5 Owned by the Welsh Government

Defunct (since 1994)

* Abellio ScotRail
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* Arriva Rail North
* Arriva Trains Merseyside
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* c2c
* Central Trains
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* First TransPennine Express
* Gatwick Express1
* Great North Eastern Railway
* Heathrow Connect
* Island Line2
* KeolisAmey Wales
* London Midland
* London Overground Rail Operations
* Midland Mainline
* MTR Crossrail
* National Express East Anglia
* National Express East Coast
* Northern Rail
* ScotRail (National Express)
* Silverlink
* South Eastern Trains5
* Southeastern
* South Western Railway
* South West Trains
* TfL Rail
* Thameslink3
* Thames Trains
* TransPennine Express
* Valley Lines
* Virgin CrossCountry
* Virgin Trains East Coast
* Virgin Trains West Coast
* Wales and Borders
* Wales & West
* Wessex Trains
* West Anglia Great Northern
* Wrexham & Shropshire4

* 1 Separate franchise until 2008; now a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway
* 2 Separate franchise until 2007, now a sub-brand of South Western Railway
* 3 Separate franchise until 2006; later reintroduced as a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway
* 4 Open-access operator
* 5 Operator of last resort

Future

| Future operators|

* Greater Anglia

|

Prospective operators|

* Go-op
* Virgin Trains
* International
* Open Access
* Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway

* Category
* Commons
* Maps

*[1tp2h]: 1 train per 2 hours
*[1tph]: 1 train per hour
*[.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3⁄2]: 3 trains every 2 hours (roughly every 40 minute service)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template