Those of you who have followed my work in Parliament over the last 15 months will know that transport issues are of particular importance to me. Britain’s railways should be a source of pride, not exasperation. As the country which created the railways, they are an iconic part of our national heritage.  

In particular, relating to this constituency, the TransPennine Express-run service through Urmston and Flixton has long been a disgrace. When I ran a survey of constituents in February last year, 88% said the service was ‘very poor’, with many users saying they had lost, or had to change jobs due to the unpredictability of the service. Others said they were moving house to be able to access better services and some said they had to travel a day earlier, incurring hotel costs and losing out on time with their families, in order to get to work on time. 

On top of all that, the Government announced plans last summer to close ticket offices, a move which caused huge anxiety to vulnerable and disabled passengers who use this service, and which would have further reduced already appalling service levels. It was only after a huge public backlash, and pressure put on the Government from opposition MP’s that they were forced into an embarrassing U-turn on this move.  

That is why I am so delighted about the policy announcement this week from the Labour Party. Labour in government will create Great British Railways, meaning that under a Labour, railways will be publicly owned, with a focus on passengers, not profit for network operators and their shareholders.  

We will set a strategy to make sure it delivers for passengers against our six key objectives. 

1. Reliable – so that people have the confidence in their journey, whether it is a one-off trip or their daily commute. 
2. Affordable – so that prices are kept, wherever possible, at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers.  
3. Efficient – so that people know that their journey will be as straightforward as possible, from booking to travel, and to provide better value for the travelling public and the taxpayer alike. 
4. Quality – so that passengers have the service experience they have a right to expect. 
5. Accessible – so that our railways are available for everyone to use. 
6. Safe – so that people do not worry about their safety on the railway and are not in fear of accidents and crime while travelling. 

Labour will also establish a powerful new passenger watchdog – the Passenger Standards Authority – to independently monitor standards and champion improvement in service performance against these measures.  

You can read much more detail about our plan for the railways here.