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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

Why Labour leapt on board with private open access train providers

A Lumo train at London Kings Cross
A Lumo train set for its inaugural journey from London Kings Cross in 2021. Photograph: David Parry/PA

A direct train from London to Wrexham? The chance to whiz to Scotland for less than £50? Trains run by a firm specialising in a single route, competing to lure customers away from the expensive big operators? What’s not to like?

Given the promise of cheaper fares to under-served UK destinations, it is perhaps little wonder that Labour’s plan for a “pragmatic” renationalisation of the railways matches the Conservatives’ policy on “open access” train providers. It also signals that the party remains open for business.

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