British railways under Tories are symbol of national decline, says Labour

Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, says the railways are ‘critical to making our country a better, wealthier and happier place’. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Getty Images

Britain’s railways have become a “symbol of national decline” under the Conservatives, the shadow transport secretary has said, announcing Labour’s plans to nationalise the rail network within five years in government.

In a speech at Trainline headquarters on Thursday, Louise Haigh said “today’s broken model simply doesn’t work”, with train cancellations at a record high and fares having risen almost twice as fast as wages since 2010.