Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched its latest Social Impact Report (Jan 2024 – Mar 2025), setting a new standard for how rail operators measure, report and deliver social value.

The report details GTR’s impact across five focus areas – cohesive communities, education and employability, diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and positive mental health – and introduces an approach designed to act as a blueprint for the wider UK rail industry.

Key achievements highlighted in the report include:

• 72% of contracts were with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), generating £1.58m in additional social value to local economies.
• The total SME contract spend was £85.9 million – tripling what was achieved previously – ensuring local businesses and communities benefit directly from GTR contracts, driving growth
• The Your Station, Your Community Fund, which has awarded nearly £800,000 to grassroots projects, reaching more than 35,000 people.
• 145 life-saving interventions by colleagues, demonstrating the human impact of staff training and wellbeing initiatives.
• Promoting positive mental health through our partnership with charity Mind, raising £29,000 in the first six months thanks to 150 fundraising colleagues.

• Reporting aligned with the business year, enabling greater transparency and comparability.
• Integration of the Rail Social Value Tool (RSVT) – updated in line with HM Treasury’s Green Book – ensuring credible, consistent measurement of value across projects and validated externally
• A unique blend of hard data and human stories, from life-changing apprenticeships to partnerships with Mind, King’s Trust and local community groups.
• Social value embedded at the heart of railway operations, from timetable co-design with passengers to safety innovations and supply chain investment.

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 200^th 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.