Full Speed Ahead

Vincent Moss writes:

Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to renationalise the railways if he becomes Prime Minister – and has revealed how he would do it.

In his first major policy announcement since becoming Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn promised to create the “People’s Railway”.

Unveiling his plan to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Corbyn said all rail franchises would be brought back into public ownership as they expire under a Labour government.

At present, the Department for Transport contracts out former British Rail services to 23 privately-run train operating companies under its franchising system.

But Labour’s new Shadow Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood will head a new taskforce to pave the way to end the process under Mr Corbyn’s rail revolution.

Mr Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror: “We know there is overwhelming support from the British people for a People's Railway, better and more efficient services, proper integration and fairer fares.

“On this issue, it won't work to have a nearly but not quite position. Labour will commit to a clear plan for a fully integrated railway in public ownership.”

The Labour leader will spell out his long-held determination to bring the rail network back into public ownership at Labour’s annual conference in Brighton next week.

His plans to renationalise the railways will reignite speculation about other Tory privatisations that Mr Corbyn might try to reverse, although his allies have played down any plans to bring power firms back under public control.

An enthusiastic cyclist who does not drive, Mr Corbyn believes his blueprint will be a vote winner.

Up to two-thirds of the public – including Tory and Ukip supporters – have backed rail renationalisation and one report said renationalisation could save £1.5bn by 2020.

There has been rising unhappiness among passengers about soaring ticket prices, frequent delays, overcrowded trains and the rocketing pay of rail company bosses.

Before the election, PM Mr Cameron promised £38.5 billion upgrade to Britain’s 10,000-mile rail network – the fifth busiest in the world with 1.65 billion journeys last year.

But embarrassed Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was forced to shelve the electrification plans in June, blaming the chaos on Network Rail.

As part of his renationalisation plan, Mr Corbyn’s new taskforce will look at the success of the East Coast line.

It achieved record passenger satisfaction and punctuality scores when it was in public hands between 2009 and 2015.

Shadow Transport Secretary Ms Greenwood said she wanted to hear a “broad range of views” about how the new system of public ownership could operate.

She added: “But we are going to start from the principle that franchises will be brought into public ownership when they expire.”

Labour’s new rail taskforce will look at ways of slashing the cost to taxpayers of subsidising Britain’s “heavily fragmented” rail network which is up to 40% less efficient than the best European railways.

Mr Corbyn also wants to look at ways of halting soaring ticket price increases – which have risen by up to 35% since 2010 – and of improving safety and passenger satisfaction.

Last month, Mr Corbyn sparked a row by saying he would consider women-only carriages as a way of combating a rise in assaults on public transport.

His taskforce will also consider plans to make it easier for travellers to claim compensation for delays and ideas to improve through-ticketing for journeys to improve the “current unfair and inconsistent” arrangements.

A Trades Union Congress report said that if the 11 franchises due to be renewed by 2020 were awarded to a single public body instead of private operators, £520m would be saved on shareholder dividends and £240m on dividends to Network Rail subcontractors.

The number of Network Rail bosses earning more David Cameron has risen by more than half.

More than 50 staff now earn more than £142,000 – up from 32 when Mr Cameron became PM in 2010.