‘New dawn’: first train service renationalised under Labour begins

Heidi Alexander at the launch of the first full train service of the newly renationalised South West Railways on Sunday. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Ministers have hailed a “new dawn” for Britain’s railways as the first train services renationalised under the Labour government started operating on Sunday.

The 06.14 from London Waterloo to Shepperton was the first rebranded train out on Sunday, its carriages adorned with a union jack and the logo “Great British Railways: coming soon” as part of a publicly owned South Western Railway (SWR).