After thirty years, Chiltern Railways is being renationalised. From today, every penny of profit the company makes will be reinvested back in the railways.
Here in Harrow, Chiltern Railways connects Harrow-on-the-Hill, South Harrow, and Sudbury with High Wycombe, Amersham and Aylesbury, as well as providing a 15 minute direct service from Harrow to Central London.
However, under the private operator, profits were distributed to overseas companies, whilst passengers were subjected to delays, train cancellations, and poor train services.
Under Great British Railways, every penny of profit will be put back into improving the service: upgrades to the rail network and signal system, purchasing new trains, and simplifying ticket prices, to ensure the rail system remains an efficient and cost-effective way to get around. Furthermore, having every train operator under one umbrella organisation means better inter-operational working – that means better handling of train delays, meaning you spend less time waiting at stations and more time getting to where you need to be!
There are just four private train operating companies yet to come under public control under the umbrella of Great British Railways. Until then, the next time you see a Chiltern train pull into a Harrow station, remember, it’s now publicly owned. The railway belongs to us all, including the passengers who rely on it every day.