Labour plan to take back railways ‘will cost billions’

The Labour Party would waste billions of pounds of public cash renationalising the railways, the Transport Secretary warned last night.

Mark harper claimed the ‘ideological’ crusade would make the already ‘not fit for purpose’ network even worse.

he made the comments in a speech setting out plans to improve reliability and simplify ticketing, with an enhanced role for the private sector.

The blueprint comes amid unprecedented levels of disruption with

‘Pragmatic reforms’

more than 15 national walkouts by the unions since last summer.

Mr harper said: ‘These pragmatic reforms stand in stark contrast to Labour’s ideological policy of nationalising the railways, cheered on by the rail unions. Labour proposes to spend billions of taxpayers’ money buying out the private sector which would only serve to entrench the systemic problems of the railway.

‘Nationalisation ... simply serves as a trite soundbite for Labour politicians without a clear plan to improve our railways but with union paymasters to appease.’

Mr harper committed to creating Great British Railway, a public body to bring the operation of track and trains under a single ‘guiding mind’.

It will take on responsibility for timetabling and ticketing, currently controlled by the Department for Transport. A trial will also take place on LNeR, which runs the east coast mainline, of airline-style ‘surge pricing’. The cost of single tickets will be halved from spring.

Mr harper also announced a payas-you-go system for commuters travelling in the South east, like the Oyster system in London.

A Labour source insisted nationalisation would not cost billions, adding: ‘We will return the train operating companies to public ownership as existing contracts expire.’