Train giant Govia pays out record dividend despite strikes and Covid

The foreign owners of the operator behind Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express will share £62 million
Oliver Gill
The Sunday Times
The Thameslink operator received more than £2 billion in financial support from taxpayers during the Covid pandemic
The Thameslink operator received more than £2 billion in financial support from taxpayers during the Covid pandemic
ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA
Oliver Gill
The Sunday Times

Britain’s biggest train operator has awarded its three overseas shareholders a record dividend despite strike-ridden services and soaring fares.

Govia Thameslink gave its Australian, Spanish and French owners — including Keolis, an arm of the French state-owned SNCF — a £62 million payout part-funded by a British taxpayer bailout of the railways during the pandemic.

The company, which operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, handed out the cash bonanza last year with the blessing of transport secretary Mark Harper.

The Gatwick Express operator was bought by the Australian bus operator Kinetic Group and Spanish infrastructure investor Globalvia in October 2022
The Gatwick Express operator was bought by the Australian bus operator Kinetic Group and Spanish infrastructure investor Globalvia in October 2022
ALAMY

Govia Thameslink received more than £2 billion in financial support from taxpayers during the Covid crisis, according to figures compiled by the government. The operator is a joint venture between Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, which own 65 per cent and 35 per cent