TSSA calls for rail freight nationalisation 

Rail union TSSA has welcomed a pledge from government to speed up the growth of rail freight - but has called on Ministers to go much further by bringing freight and rolling stock companies into public hands.  

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, in a statement to Parliament said the government wants rail freight to increase by 40 per cent in net tonne kilometres by 2040. The target is in addition to the longer-term policy of a 75 per cent increase by 2050.  

Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust said: "The announcement from the Transport Secretary shows the government understands the importance of rail freight to the economy and the battle against climate change. 

"While expanding the use of rail freight is the right way forward Ministers simply must be more ambitious and act now to bring all parts of the railway industry into public ownership.  

"As things stand freight and rolling stock companies extract profits that should be belong to the public purse and go into widespread reinvestment of the network. 

"The ongoing transition to Great British Railways is a golden opportunity and if we are to have the railway Britain needs in the 21^st Century, this must be about protecting jobs, pay and conditions – creating a fully publicly owned railway that works in the interests of both passengers and the workforce.”