Mary Creagh MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to news that the East Coast mainline has seen a boost in earnings, said

“David Cameron should tackle the cost of living crisis he has created, by capping rail fares for struggling commuters, instead of obsessing about handing East Coast over to the private sector. East Coast is working well and will have returned £800 million to the taxpayer by the end of this financial year.

“This Government has learned nothing from the West Coast franchising fiasco, which saw over £50 million of taxpayers’ money wasted in compensation to train companies, through ministers’ incompetence.”