Launch of Go-op's Taunton - Swindon rail services

Go-op is bringing the benefits of co-operative ownership to the passenger rail sector for the first time ever. Through Go-op, passengers will have a direct voice in the specification and delivery of routes; and staff will be empowered to set the highest standards for delivery. This share offer is to launch our first rail service, but our goal is to continue to innovate across multiple routes and different modes of transport, all in pursuit of our objects: to enhance mobility while reducing the social and environmental impacts of transport.

We are run by our nine directors, all elected by almost three hundred members. While some of our directors are former rail professionals, many are ordinary rail users determined to see empty tracks better used and the market towns of Somerset and Wiltshire properly connected to the network and each other. 

Being a co-op means that, over time, our profits build up a reserve for the common good. We can use it to run the trains on social routes that central planners don't see the value in; we can innovate to make trains greener, cheaper and more reliable; and we can respond quickly to the concerns of passengers. Community enterprise has built social housing, solar farms and local shops: it's about time it was given a chance to add value to the rail network.

We've been working on developing this project for over a decade: railway planning is all about getting the details right, and we've worked with Network Rail and other operators to develop a first route that delivers real benefits while working seamlessly alongside existing services. 

Our route from Taunton to Swindon (with some additional trips Taunton to Weston-Super-Mare) is different because it joins up two existing routes, and because it calls at fast growing towns that have been neglected two long. Every interchange we call at is an opportunity to make more connections and create more trips. Who needs cars if the train is going your way?

We are the perfect complement to the newly unified Great British Railways - alongside the government specified routes, we can add extra services wherever local communities have unmet aspirations that they can back with commitment.

Your investment is a balanced blend of social impact and healthy, long term capital growth. Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief means that you can get 30% refunded from your next tax bill. 

So, take a look at the share offer document - we welcome new members whether they are making a large or a small investment. It's a revolution on the rails!