Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has published its latest Social Impact Report (January 2024 – March 2025), setting a benchmark for how rail operators measure, report, and deliver social value. The report highlights GTR’s efforts across five key areas: cohesive communities, education and employability, diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and positive mental health, and introduces an approach intended as a blueprint for the wider UK rail industry.

Key achievements include awarding 72% of contracts to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), generating £1.58 million in additional social value for local economies, and tripling total SME contract spend to £85.9 million. The Your Station, Your Community Fund has granted nearly £800,000 to grassroots projects, benefiting more than 35,000 people, while 145 life-saving interventions by staff showcase the tangible human impact of GTR’s training and wellbeing programmes.

The report also underscores GTR’s commitment to mental health, with the company raising £29,000 in just six months through a partnership with Mind, supported by 150 fundraising colleagues. It introduces new reporting practices aligned with the business year, along with integration of the Rail Social Value Tool (RSVT), updated to HM Treasury’s Green Book standards, providing consistent, externally validated measurement of social value across projects.

By blending hard data with human stories – from life-changing apprenticeships to community partnerships – the report demonstrates that social value is embedded in every aspect of railway operations. Initiatives range from timetable co-design with passengers and safety innovations to targeted investment in the supply chain, reflecting GTR’s vision of a railway that benefits both people and communities.

GTR Chief Executive Officer Angie Doll said:

“This is more than a report – it’s a blueprint for the future of rail as we transfer to public ownership. At GTR we believe social value is not an add-on, it’s central to how we run the railway. By being transparent about how we measure impact, and by sharing the stories behind the numbers, we want to set a standard that the whole industry can adopt.

“I’m so proud of how we champion women in rail and create employability programmes that respond to the needs of our communities. Last year, over 370 colleagues were working towards an apprenticeship, generating £26 million in social value.

“We’ve helped lift the veil on a societal taboo by partnering with Mind, making real strides in mental health, and our partnerships have supported no fewer than 56 community projects reaching more than 35,000 people across our network.

“Our railway is everyone’s railway and, in this 200th year of its birth, our report celebrates the massive positive social impact GTR has had on society.”

Tom Hall, Social Sustainability Principal at The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), said:

“GTR’s latest Social Impact Report shows what's possible when purpose and performance go hand in hand. By embedding social value into everything from procurement to community engagement, GTR is demonstrating how rail can be a powerful force for good.

“Their work with grassroots initiatives, support for employability and education, and commitment to mental health and inclusion are great examples of rail's value to society.”

The report data for 2025 reflects sustained commitments made to embed sustainability into the business over the years.

It also sets out GTR’s Social Value Plan for 2025/26, with commitments to scale up environmental sustainability projects, expand career returner programmes, and strengthen partnerships with communities across its network.

Image: Govia Thameslink Railway