TSSA welcomes Labour’s pledge to bring railways back under public control

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has welcomed a renewed pledge by Labour to nationalise the rail network upon winning power at the next general election. 

Shadow Transport Secretary, Lou Haigh, made the commitment while addressing the party’s annual conference in Liverpool, saying “we have a system where the public have come last for too long.”  

As a result Labour would nationalise the railways, build an Elizabeth Line for the North and press ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 in full. 

Commenting, union leader Cortes said: “Our Labour Party is absolutely right to underscore its commitment to public ownership of our railways. We have seen this vital network play a crucial role during the pandemic and it simply must be run in the public good and not for profit. 

“Not only does nationalisation make perfect economic sense and boost our response to the ever more pressing climate emergency, but it is also the right thing to do for hard pressed passengers and our brilliant rail workers.  

“We have a Tory government intent on slashing pay and jobs across our railways which has resulted in a national rail dispute. Lou Haigh is spot on when she says privatisation has created a “cash machine” for greedy shareholders.  

"There can be no doubt now in the minds of millions of passengers that a Labour government will act on their behalf giving us the railways we all need for the future, including HS2 which should not only be built in full but go all the way to Scotland.”