After decades of failed privatisation, Britain’s railways are broken. Passengers have endured years of delays, cancellations, and rising fares, while taxpayers have seen millions wasted on a system that doesn’t work. The Tory experiment with privatisation has been a disaster—so much so that the last government had to quietly take four operators back into public ownership.

Yet, despite overwhelming evidence that the current model has failed, successive Conservative governments refused to fully admit defeat. Their half-hearted attempts at reform never addressed the root of the problem, leading to more frustration for passengers and no real improvements in service.

The new Labour government is determined to fix the railways once and for all. The Transport Secretary has pledged to “move fast and fix things,” and this Bill is the first step in a comprehensive plan to bring Britain’s railways back into public ownership. This is about delivering a reliable service that works for passengers, not shareholders, and ensuring better value for taxpayers.

This Bill is just the beginning. Labour’s long-term vision for the railways includes a wider reform bill later this session, designed to overhaul the entire system to better serve passengers, freight customers, and the economy at large. By making transport the backbone of our plans to rebuild Britain, we aim to boost productivity, drive growth, and get the country moving again.

It’s time for a railway system that delivers for the people, not private profit. This government is committed to making that vision a reality.