Editing British Rail (section)

== Future ==
{{See also|Renationalisation of British Rail}}
Since privatisation, many groups have campaigned for the renationalisation of UK Rail services, most notably '[[Campaign to Bring Back British Rail|Bring Back British Rail]]'.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ellieharrison.com/jeremyvine/ |title = Should we bring back British Rail? |date = 20 September 2018 |website = ellieharrison.com }}</ref> Various interested parties also have views on the [[privatisation of British Rail]].

[[File:Bring Back British Rail logo.jpg|thumb|upright|Bring Back British Rail logo]]
The renationalisation of the railways of Britain continues to have popular support. Polls in 2012 and 2013 showed 70% and 66% support for renationalisation, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.globalrailnews.com/2012/09/13/70-want-end-to-rail-privatisation/ |title = 70% want end to rail privatisation |date = 13 September 2012 |work = globalrailnews.com |access-date = 5 June 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140716203326/http://www.globalrailnews.com/2012/09/13/70-want-end-to-rail-privatisation/ |archive-date = 16 July 2014 |url-status = dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Merrick |first1 = Jane |title = Jeremy Corbyn reveals first official policy: To renationalise the railways |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-reveals-first-official-policy-to-renationalise-the-railways-10509504.html |website = [[The Independent]] |access-date = 5 May 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170424075329/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-reveals-first-official-policy-to-renationalise-the-railways-10509504.html |archive-date = 24 April 2017 |url-status = live  }}</ref>

Due to [[Rail franchising in Great Britain|rail franchises]] sometimes lasting over a decade, full renationalisation would take years unless compensation was paid to terminate contracts early.

When the infrastructure-owning company [[Railtrack]] ceased trading in 2002, the [[Second Blair ministry|Labour government]] set up the not-for-dividend company [[Network Rail]] to take over the duties rather than renationalise this part of the network. However, in September 2014, Network Rail was reclassified as a central government body, adding around £34&nbsp;billion to public sector net debt. This reclassification had been requested by the [[Office for Budget Responsibility]] to comply with [[European System of Accounts|pan-European accounting standard]] ESA10.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/10709868/Budget-2014-fears-of-more-austerity-in-spite-of-growth.html#source=refresh |title = Budget 2014: fears of more austerity in spite of growth |work = The Daily Telegraph |date = 19 March 2014 |access-date = 20 May 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140621005742/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/10709868/Budget-2014-fears-of-more-austerity-in-spite-of-growth.html#source=refresh |archive-date = 21 June 2014 |url-status = live  }}</ref>

The [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green party]] has committed to bringing the railways 'back into public ownership' and has maintained this impetus when other parties argued to maintain the status quo. In 2016, Green MP, [[Caroline Lucas]], put forward a [[Private Members Bill|Bill]] that would have seen the rail network fall back into public ownership step by step, as franchises come up for expiry.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2016/01/22/caroline-lucas-mp-brings-railway-bill-to-parliament/ |title = Caroline Lucas MP brings Railway Bill to Parliament |date = 22 January 2016 |website = The Green Party |access-date = 9 June 2019}}</ref>

Under [[Jeremy Corbyn]] (2015–2020), the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] pledged to gradually renationalise British Rail franchises if elected, as and when their private contracts expire, creating a "People's Railway".<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Elgot |first1 = Jessica |title = Corbyn to launch transport campaign with rail pledges |url = https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/16/corbyn-to-launch-transport-campaign-with-rail-pledges |work = The Guardian |access-date = 5 May 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170705224321/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/16/corbyn-to-launch-transport-campaign-with-rail-pledges |archive-date = 5 July 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> In a pledge during his successful leadership campaign to succeed Corbyn, [[Keir Starmer]] said that renationalising rail would remain as Labour Party policy under his leadership.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-labour-leadership-election-abolish-tuition-fees-nationalisation-396843 |title = Keir Starmer promises to abolish tuition fees and nationalise industries if he becomes PM |newspaper = [[i (British newspaper)|i]] |first = Hugo |last = Gye |date = 11 February 2020 }}</ref> This was further outlined in April 2024 when the party announced that a Labour government would transfer passenger rail networks to public ownership within its first term.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Corbett |first1=Helen |title=Labour pledge to renationalise railways within five years |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/renationalise-railways-labour-election-starmer-b2534505.html |access-date=29 April 2024 |work=The Independent |date=25 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref> After Labour's victory in the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], the incoming government began the process of bringing all remaining privatised railway franchises into public ownership at the earliest opportunity as contracts expire with the [[Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill|Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024]].<ref name=":0" />

Following the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] decimating franchise revenues and making them unviable, in 2021 the government announced it would take back responsibility for the operations of passenger services through [[Great British Railways]] with service provision to be contracted to private operators.<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://www.railjournal.com/policy/british-government-announces-plans-for-major-railway-sector-reform/ |title = British government announces plans for major railway sector reform |magazine = [[International Railway Journal]] |date = 20 May 2021 }}</ref> In 2024, the government announced that management of publicly owned passenger rail services would be integrated into GBR.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First train services to return to public ownership revealed |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-train-services-to-return-to-public-ownership-revealed |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref>