Trains, Planes, and Automobiles: Are Labour’s Train Renationalisation Efforts Any Better?

 Despite the return of South Western Railway to public ownership, rail fares remain sky-high, accessibility is still lacking, and the greenest form of transport continues to be priced out of reach for many.

By Sean Ash

Once upon a time, trains were the pride of British travel. You could journey from London to northern seaside towns or across the country without breaking the bank. Today, taking the train often costs more than flying, driving, or even hiring a private coach, despite being the most environmentally friendly option.

A standard off-peak return from London to Liverpool, for instance, can cost £119 or more, even with multiple changes. A return coach ticket can cost under £20. A return flight from Heathrow to Manchester averages around £70. I drive a Ford Kuga, 71 plate, which averages around 44 miles per gallon. The return journey from London to Liverpool is about 420 miles, and with today’s petrol prices, I’d spend roughly £63 on fuel for the whole round trip. That’s significantly cheaper than the train, and it shows just how far off the mark rail pricing has become.

Yet the train, which should be the clear choice for a green future, remains out of reach for many. How did we get here?

Before privatisation in the 1990s, British Rail operated under public ownership. While not perfect, tickets were affordable and predictable. In the early 1980s, an off-peak return from London to Manchester would, when adjusted for inflation, cost around £30 to £35 in today’s money. Yet today, that same journey can hit triple figures, even when booked weeks in advance.

The privatisation of British Rail began under John Major’s Conservative government in 1994. What followed was a patchwork of operators, soaring fares, and annual price hikes linked not to inflation but to the Retail Price Index, which often rises faster than average wages. Even regulated fares, such as season tickets and some off-peak returns, have consistently increased above inflation for decades.

Train travel should be our default. It emits just 10 to 15 kilograms of carbon dioxide per passenger from London to Manchester, compared to 113 kilograms by plane or 60 to 70 kilograms by car. Coaches fall somewhere in between, emitting around 27 kilograms per person. Yet trains are usually the most expensive option.

This is because the most sustainable form of travel has been governed not by environmental logic, but by market logic. While subsidies do exist, much of the cost burden has shifted onto passengers. Privatised operators, accountable to shareholders, have little incentive to cap fares, especially when demand remains strong among commuters and business travellers.

Today, South Western Railway became the first train company to be brought back into public ownership under the new Labour government. The first nationalised service departed at 05:36 from Woking to Surbiton, though part of the route was served by a rail replacement bus. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called it a new dawn for Britain’s railways, promising a shift away from shareholder profits and toward passenger-focused services. More routes are expected to return to public ownership in the coming months and years.

But early signs raise concerns. A search for tickets from Waterloo to Weymouth, departing tomorrow under this newly nationalised network, shows open return fares starting from £90.60. That is nearly five times the price of a return coach ticket, and far beyond what many would consider affordable. For a nearly three-hour journey, that level of pricing continues to push ordinary people away from the railways, even as they are told it now belongs to them.

And again, let’s compare it fairly. Weymouth is roughly 290 miles there and back. In my Ford Kuga, with a fuel consumption of about 44 mpg and current petrol prices, that journey would cost me around £44 in fuel. Still not cheap, but considerably less than £90.60 for a train ticket, and that’s before factoring in accessibility or flexibility.

And this isn’t about calling for plane fares or fuel costs to skyrocket. It’s about recognising that train fares should be a lot cheaper and that rail should be the default travel option. Our roads are congested, but many people still choose to drive because it’s the only option they can afford or manage logistically.

There was a time when families would board trains to Brighton for a day at the seaside or head up to Blackpool to spend money in local shops, walk the promenade, and support small businesses. Train travel connected working-class people with places, experiences, and opportunities. Now those same families have been priced out. What we’re left with is a country where freedom of movement is not a right but a privilege.

And that’s without even addressing accessibility. As someone who has shared their own journey from Welling to Liverpool in a wheelchair, I can say first-hand that it is not easy. Lifts don’t always work. Platforms don’t always align. Staff aren’t always trained.

A single journey anywhere in the country shouldn’t cost more than £20. If you want people to choose the train, make it the easiest and most affordable option. Right now, it isn’t. And for many disabled people, the effort, stress, and indignity of travel makes it simply not worth it.

Yes, you might technically be able to get cheaper fares if you’re willing to take multiple changes and book far in advance, but let’s be honest, they’re not that much cheaper. By the time you’ve navigated the inconvenience, uncertainty, and planning required, you might save a few pounds, not a meaningful amount.

And what if you’re disabled and in a wheelchair like me? That adds a whole other layer of complexity. A coach isn’t a viable option. You often can’t board without climbing steps, and if you need to use the toilet during a long journey, you’re out of luck. Coaches are effectively closed off to many of us.

Flying might seem like a faster option, but for someone like me who has had a heart attack, lives with a stent, and takes blood thinners, flying is far from straightforward. It can be uncomfortable and even dangerous.

Driving might be possible if you have a hand-control vehicle, but long-distance driving while in pain takes a toll, and for many disabled people, it’s just not sustainable. So we are left with trains. And even with a disabled railcard, the discount doesn’t make train travel genuinely affordable. It just softens the blow. It doesn’t make you say, yes, I can do this now. It still breaks the bank.

Of course, there are exceptions. You might be able to find a cheaper ticket if you know exactly where to look, are able to book at the right time, or happen to hit a special promotion. But that in itself is part of the problem. Rail companies profit from public ignorance. If you don’t know the tricks, if you don’t have the apps, the codes, the flexibility, or the time to search, then you’re likely to pay the highest price.

That hits hardest for people who are already disadvantaged. If you have learning difficulties, are elderly, lack digital access, or simply want to take your family somewhere last-minute, which, let’s face it, is how some of the best memories are made, you’ll likely be punished with inflated fares. I’ve looked at tickets three months in advance and still found prices to be high. It’s almost like you need a magnifying glass just to find a reasonable price journey, and there aren’t many of them.

So the questions remain. Will fares come down, or will public ownership simply absorb operational costs without changing ticket pricing? Will there be reinvestment in regional lines, or will the focus stay on profitable intercity routes? Is this truly a move toward a public service model, or just an attempt to manage the same flawed system under a new banner?

These are the questions the government must now answer.

If Britain is serious about meeting its climate goals, train fares must become fair. It cannot be cheaper to fly than to take a train, especially when the train is ten times cleaner. It should not cost £119 to make a three-hour journey that could be done by coach for £15. And it should not require a dozen apps, split tickets, and guesswork to afford a journey across the country.

Renationalisation is a promising step. But unless the government addresses the pricing structure, accessibility, and reliability of the rail network, the train will remain a luxury many cannot afford.

We need more than public ownership. We need public value.