Cat Eccles, Labour MP for Stourbridge, has welcomed the Government’s decision to explore public ownership of trains, describing it as a major step towards ending wasteful leasing arrangements and delivering better value for passengers and taxpayers.
Under Labour’s new Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy, Great British Railways will assess whether future trains should be leased, privately financed or directly publicly owned, ending the automatic assumption that new trains must be leased from rolling stock companies.
Cat Eccles MP said:
“I warmly welcome this announcement. For many years, I have argued that the railways should be run in the public interest and that we must challenge outdated structures which allow large sums of public money to flow to private shareholders rather than being reinvested in our transport network.
“The current system means taxpayers and passengers pay billions of pounds every year in rolling stock leasing costs. It is only right that Great British Railways is now being empowered to consider whether public ownership of trains themselves could deliver better value.
“This is not about ideology. It is about making sensible decisions with public money. If buying trains outright saves money over the long term, improves accountability and delivers better outcomes for passengers, then that option should be on the table.”
The Stourbridge MP said she had consistently supported reforms to public ownership within the rail industry and had worked alongside railway unions and parliamentarians campaigning for greater public control of the network.
“As a member of both the RMT Parliamentary Group and the ASLEF Parliamentary Group, I have worked closely with rail workers and industry representatives who have long highlighted the costs and inefficiencies within the current model.
“I have raised these issues with ministers, supported campaigns for greater public ownership and argued that public investment should deliver maximum benefit for passengers, communities and taxpayers.
“Today’s announcement shows that the Government is prepared to look seriously at whether public ownership of rolling stock can provide better value than the status quo.”
Cat said the reforms would help ensure that more money is invested in services, infrastructure and modern trains rather than leaving the railway through complex leasing arrangements.
“People in Stourbridge want a railway that is reliable, affordable and focused on passengers.
“For too long, our railways have been burdened by fragmentation and costly contractual arrangements that are not always in the public interest. Labour is taking a practical approach by examining every option and choosing the one that delivers the best outcome for passengers and taxpayers.
“Where public ownership of trains offers the best value, we should have the confidence to pursue it. This announcement is an important step in that direction.”
Cat Eccles has consistently supported public ownership of rail services and has welcomed the return of train operating companies to public control. She says the Government’s new approach to rolling stock ownership represents the next stage in creating a railway that works for passengers, workers and taxpayers alike.
