LONDON OVERGROUND RE-PRIVATISED

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: jan/feb 2026 :: RMTnews 5 Transport for London has announced that First Rail London will take over the running of the London Overground from Arriva Rail in May, a move slammed by RMT. Four bids were received by TfL from private companies wanting to profit from running London Overground services. First Rail London is part of the First Group, which currently runs Avanti West Coast and Great Western Railway, though both are in line to be renationalised by the government. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that despite the London mayor claiming that he backed public ownership of rail, London Overground was being re- privatised on a lucrative eight- year deal that puts profit before passengers. "It’s beyond belief, especially when a Labour government is bringing the railways back into public hands. "This is another outrageous decision, landing on the same day we learn that cleaning staff are to be outsourced again despite previous commitments to bring them in-house. "Transport in London is being turned into a haven for exploitative outsourcing and privatisation and RMT will not accept it. "We will oppose any attempt by TfL to secure devolved control over publicly owned Great British Railways services while it continues down this path,” he said. First Rail London is part of the First Group, which currently runs Avanti West Coast and Great Western Railway and have sucked £200 million out of the rail industry in dividends. Avanti and GWR are both in line to be renationalised by the government. Announcing The deal with First Group, TfL claimed that it was the “best way of delivering a high performing and cost-effective London Overground operation”. Yet TfL’s decision to re- privatise London Overground will cost more than public ownership. Just last year, Labour’s Rail Minister Lord Hendy, who has run TfL Concessions, explained why TfL’s private concessions will cost more than public ownership: “Not only would concessions be more expensive than this government’s plans for public ownership but they would be even more costly to taxpayers than the current contracts.”  Under the last Concession, Arriva Rail London extracted £57 million in dividends from London Overground. FirstGroup has also actively lobbied against the Labour government’s rail reforms, attacking the DfT’s position on Open Access and lobbying to ensure that devolved authorities like TfL are able to keep privatising services. During Arriva’s contract, which began in 2016 and was extended for two years, the Overground was rebranded by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, with its six sections each getting their own name: Mildmay, Windrush, Lioness, Weaver, Liberty and Suffragette. In April this year, FirstGroup said: “It is vital that devolved authorities continue to be able to procure services from the private sector, as Transport for London and Merseyrail do now “. LONDON OVERGROUND RE-PRIVATISED London lines handed to First instead of cheaper in-house operation