POLITICAL figures in Cumbria have reacted to new Labour plans to renationalise the railways, if the party was elected to government at the next general election.

A Labour government would expect to transfer the 10 remaining privately run rail networks to public ownership “well within the first term” by folding existing private passenger rail contracts into a new body as they expire, Shadow transport minister Louise Haigh said on Thursday, April 25.

The Government’s own proposals for rail reform, published in a draft Bill in February, include the creation of a new public sector body named Great British Railways (GBR) to hold responsibility for rail infrastructure and awarding contracts to operate trains.

But a Labour government say they would create a publicly owned version of GBR led by rail experts rather than Whitehall.

Labour parliamentary candidate for Carlisle Julie Minns said: "Labour's plan to fix our broken railways is good news for residents and businesses across Carlisle and North Cumbria. We have borne the brunt of the cost of Conservative rail failure, with two of the train operating companies that serve our area - Avanti and Northern - recording the largest increase in the percentage of trains cancelled over the last eight years.

"Privatisation of our rail network has failed. Labour’s plans put passengers, not ideology first, and will provide a reliable, safe, efficient, accessible, affordable and quality transport system that plays its part in getting our country back on its feet after 14 years of Conservative chaos."

However the current Carlisle MP and conservative candidate for the upcoming general election John Stevenson thinks that the plans are a 'backward step' for the country.

He said: "I believe this would be a backward step. We need to concentrate on dealing with the issues relating to staffing which will not go away under re-nationalisation and in fact could likely worsen, and hold rail operators to account.

"My feeling is that this is yet another unfunded promise from Labour."

Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Carlisle Brian Wernham said: "The Liberal Democrats are focused on improving the UK's transport system through practical and innovative solutions.  We believe that full-scale nationalisation would just entrench the poor results of centralised decision-making that has led us into such a terrible state in our railways.  We need more east-west local services in Carlisle, not more ideas like HS2 that just end up wasting money.

"Labour plans to bring railways back under centralised ownership. In contrast, the Lib Dems propose allowing a variety of public sector entities, including local or combined authorities, not-for-profits, and mutuals, to run rail franchises in a decentralised manner appropriate to local communities."