Unions hail UK’s rail renationalisation bills as a return to ‘public service’

Avanti West Coast has already been called upon to improve performance by the new transport secretary, Louise Haigh. Photograph: Luciana Guerra/PA

Rail unions have said Britain’s trains will be “run as a public service, not for private profit”, as the new government announced early steps to renationalise the railways in the king’s speech.

Labour will renationalise rail with two separate bills, decoupling laws to take train services into public ownership from more complex legislation to set up a dedicated public body, Great British Railways (GBR).