Labour councillor calls for nationalisation of railways

Councillor Stephen Morgan, ward member for Charles Dickens on Portsmouth City Council, said fares have increased by 27 per cent under the Conservative government.

Portsmouth Labour leader Cllr Morgan, himself a commuter, said: ‘As a regular train user myself I know the pain and misery caused to the lives of ordinary people by under-investment in our rail.

‘Labour proposals are sensible and have wide public support. It’s time to put people before profit and put passengers first by bringing rail back into public ownership.

‘Labour isn’t talking about turning the clocks back, we want a new deal for the railways which delivers a world-class rail service.’

He branded rail privatisation a ‘failure’.

Cllr Morgan said Labour would return routes to public ownership as private contracts expire.

In turn, profits would be reinvested to improve services.