The Labour Party has published its proposal for creating Great British Railways, which is called ‘Getting Britain moving’ and runs to 28 pages. Speaking in London this morning, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: ‘If I am secretary of state, I won’t be running the railways day-to-day, but I will act as ‘passenger-in-chief’ – setting the strategy and objectives for Great British Railways, and holding it to account. ‘But, unlike current Ministers, I will trust the experts. Experts who don’t just come from the rail sector – because we all know that it can sometimes be a little too inward-looking. But external experts in providing exceptional customer service.’ She revealed that if Labour is elected, instructions will be given immediately to the Department for Transport, Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and the Operator of Last Resort ‘to work together from day one to create a “shadow” Great British Railways’.

The Labour Party has unveiled the first details of its plans for Great British Railways, if it wins the General Election. The idea of a ‘guiding mind’ for the rail industry, as recommended by Keith Williams, would be confirmed by the passing of a new Railways Act. Labour is also announcing plans to ‘seize on the huge economic potential of rail freight’ and ‘deliver a new long-term strategy for train manufacturing’ as part of the party’s commitment to a comprehensive industrial strategy.