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Great Western Railway NRC
FirstGroup plc
The Labour Government elected on 4 July 2024 announced that all National Rail Contracts would be terminated and run by the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (now DfT Operator Limited) until Great British Railways could take over.
Each contract would be terminated when it expired or at the first available break point (which may be the ‘core expiry date’), and possibly sooner in the event of a breach of contract by the operator.
The termination date of this operator’s contract is later in 2026.
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Great Western Railway NRC
National Rail Contract
replaced
< Great Western Railway
to be replaced by
(Great British Railways) >
start date
26 June 2022
end date
later in 2026
owned by
FirstGroup plc
legal title
First Greater Western Limited
description
This National Rail contract began on 26 June 2022, and its final expiry date was to have been 25 June 2028, unless extended. The core expiry date is 22 June 2025.
The government confirmed on 4 December 2024 that it expected to terminate this contract at a future date after June 2025 which had yet to be decided, when it would return to public ownership after the operator had been given notice of not less than twelve weeks.
In a further announcement on 26 September 2025, the government said Great Western Railway would be renationalised during the second half of 2026.
service area
Intercity, outer suburban and regional services. London Paddington–Bristol–Weston-super-Mare/Westbury–Exeter–Paignton/Plymouth–Penzance/Newquay, Cardiff–Swansea–Carmarthen, Swindon–Cheltenham Spa/Worcester–Great Malvern, Bristol–Weymouth/Portsmouth, Reading–Basingstoke–Gatwick Airport; branch lines to St Ives, Falmouth Docks, Newquay, Looe, Gunnislake, Barnstaple, Exmouth, Okehampton, Severn Beach, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, Windsor & Eton Central, Greenford
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