Rail nationalisation not a silver bullet, says Labour

The UK Transport Secretary stated that public ownership of railways is not a "magic bullet" for guaranteeing better services for passengers. She pointed out that the currently state-operated Northern Rail has a cancellation rate exceeding 10%, and many people in the region have long been disappointed.

The Transport Secretary also outlined her work priorities for the coming year, including "reforming fares and ticketing systems" to ensure a "best price guarantee," as well as publishing operational data at stations. She emphasized that the government is committed to improving the transparency and fairness of railway services.

However, Shadow Transport Secretary Gareth Bacon stated that "quick fixes and empty statements will not improve services for passengers or drive economic growth." He believes that the government needs a more comprehensive strategy to address the challenges facing the railway system.

Renationalizing train operating companies is a key component of the Labour Party's campaign platform. Although Northern Rail was nationalized by the Conservative government in 2020, its operational performance has not improved. The Transport Secretary stated that she and Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy would "strongly urge" the Department for Transport Operator (DfTO) to implement Northern Rail's published improvement plan, but she did not provide further details.

Currently, the operating division runs 25% of train services under its control of franchises, including Northern Rail, LNER, TransPennine, and Southeastern. C2C, South Western, and Greater Anglia will be added this year. In her speech, the Transport Secretary emphasized the need to unify train operators and Network Rail, which manages railway infrastructure.

She believes this will allow them to "work more closely together, eliminate duplication, simplify the management of track and trains, and create greater accountability." The government is continuing to develop its new operating body, Great British Railways. The Transport Secretary stated that the key role of the Department for Transport Operator is to ensure that Great British Railways "does not end up as an umbrella organization of 16 separate entities, each with their own incentives, back office systems and structures, but rather as an integrated, passenger-focused team."

The Transport Secretary also stated that future priorities include piloting more pay-as-you-go models, and making more use of artificial intelligence to improve passenger experience and efficiency. Great British Railways is a public body that will operate both the network track and trains, and oversee the railway systems in England, Wales, and Scotland.