On 13 December 2026, Great Western Railway passes into public ownership. The Government will own the railway, run the services, and take your ticket money — all at once.

For years, when commuters complained about rising fares and unreliable services, the answer was always the same: it's a private company, our hands are tied.

That excuse is gone.

From December, fare levels on the Reading–Paddington line will be a direct political decision made by the Government. Just like fuel duty — which has been frozen in every Budget for over fourteen years because ministers decided drivers couldn't afford more increases.

Rail passengers have never been shown that same consideration. Reading Liberal Democrats think it's time they were.

The numbers tell a stark story:

🎫 A Reading–Paddington annual season ticket costs up to £5,100 a year — a significant chunk of take-home pay, just to get to work

📈 Rail fares have risen 42% since 2013 — four times faster than wages over the same period

📉 Fares rose 5.1% in 2025 alone — well above inflation, and advance tickets in our region jumped by 9.7%

🚂 The service was disrupted on 361 out of 365 days — an FOI request revealed that faults on the Great Western Main Line caused disruption on almost every single day of the year

🧍 1 in 4 commuters can't get a seat — new Government figures published in July 2026 show that 27% of morning rail commuters into London are forced to stand, the highest proportion since records began in 2011

And compared to the rest of the world?

In Italy, a 29-mile commute into Rome costs £37 a month — around 2% of average salary.

In the UK, an equivalent journey into London costs £358 a month — 13% of average salary.

Same distance. Six times the cost as a share of income.

That isn't bad luck. It's a political choice — and from December, it's a choice that rests entirely with the Government.

✔ Cut our fares The Government can choose to cut — or at minimum freeze — fares on the Reading–Paddington line, just as it has chosen to freeze fuel duty for over a decade. Now it owns the railway, there is nothing stopping it.

✔ A published punctuality target Within the first year of public ownership, the Government should publish a specific, measurable punctuality target for the Reading–Paddington corridor — so commuters can hold them to account.

✔ Honest, open reporting Quarterly public data on performance and pricing, specific to Reading stations. Not national averages. Not all-hours figures. What's actually happening on our route, at the times our commuters travel.

Reading's Labour MPs now represent constituents whose railway is owned by their own Government. We are calling on them to publicly back fare cuts for Reading commuters, and to take that case directly to the Department for Transport.

Will they stand with Reading commuters — or defend the status quo?

We'll be publishing their responses here as we receive them.

We want to hear directly from Reading commuters — what the service actually costs you, how often it lets you down, and what you want to see change when the railway is in public hands.

Your responses will be used to build our campaign, strengthen our case to MPs, and make sure the voices of Reading commuters are heard loudly and clearly.

The survey takes under 2 minutes.

👉 Take the survey

We'll be updating this page as the campaign develops — publishing survey findings, sharing responses from MPs, and tracking what the Government commits to ahead of nationalisation day on 13 December 2026.

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