TSSA demands full public ownership after Great British Railways plans thrown into chaos

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has called for the full public ownership of the country’s railways after the Transport Secretary told MPs that the government has no immediate plans for a major Transport Bill which would have rubber stamped the planned Great British Railways (GBR) reforms.

The creation of GBR, announced by Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s predecessor, Grant Shapps, in May last year, had been due to go ahead in early 2024.

Speaking to the Commons Transport Select Committee today Ms Trevelyan was asked if a Transport Bill was likely in the coming months, to which she replied "a big transport Bill, no.

“The challenges of the Energy Bill we have got to bring in, and various others has meant that we have lost the opportunities to have that in this third session. What we are continuing to pitch for what I would call a narrow Bill around the future of transport technology."

Commenting, union leader Cortes said: “The Tories seem to get themselves in a mess no matter which way they turn. Having recognised that their Frankenstein privatisation of our railways has been an utter failure they promised to fix this by bringing them under public control with the creation of Great British Railways.

“Those plans seemed to be a long way down the track but now the new Transport Secretary has all but junked them, saying this will not happen any time soon.

“This is no way to treat our rail industry which is vital to millions in our county every single day. Frankly what we badly need is a change of government and Labour's policy of full public ownership of our railways. Nothing else will do.”