Mary Creagh MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to plans to return East Coast to the private sector, said:

“With a cost-of-living crisis facing commuters, David Cameron should be taking action to tackle soaring fares, not wasting time and money rushing to return the profitable East Coast franchise to the private sector. East Coast is working well, has returned £800 million to the taxpayer and reinvests profits in improving services for hard-pressed commuters – and yet this Government is forcing it to be sold off and is not even allowing it to bid for itself.”