Politics

Anti-nationalisation Tory government set to nationalise fourth railway in five years

Nearly one in four (24%) passenger journeys on Britain’s railways will be on nationalised services once TransPennine Express comes under Government control.

The analysis by the PA news agency comes as Labour reiterated its pledge to nationalise all services.

The UK Government’s Operator of Last Resort already controls London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern services.

It will take over TransPennine Express on May 28.

Meanwhile, ScotRail and Transport for Wales are run by the Scottish and Welsh governments respectively.

PA’s analysis is based on passenger figures for the 12 months to December 2022, which are the latest available.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “This endless cycle of shambolic private operators failing passengers shows the Conservatives’ rail system is fundamentally broken.

“The next Labour government will end this sticking plaster politics by bringing our railways back into public ownership as contracts expire, ending the Tories’ failing system, and putting passengers back at the heart of our rail network.”

Transport Salaried Staffs Association organiser for TransPennine Express, Alan Valentine, added: “fragmented private railways are an abject failure”.

 “If this Tory government really wants to build a British economy for the coming decades, the first thing it should do is listen to passengers, business and our union, all of whom want safe, reliable rail services.

“The only way to do that is to run a rail network for the people, by the people.”

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Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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