RAIL unions have criticised the Tories’ draft Rail Reform Bill, which will create a “commercially focused” Great British Railways (GBR).

The Department for Transport said that GBR will “leverage private-sector innovation” while having responsibility for infrastructure, operations and oversight of whole industry finance where it is the franchising authority.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This Bill, in its current form, will do nothing to address the 30-year-long decline in our railways since privatisation.

“We will continue to protect our members’ jobs, terms and conditions while campaigning for a fully integrated publicly owned railway that works in the interests of all passengers.”

TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust added: “The draft Rail Reform Bill is completely inadequate.

“It does not address the damage that privatisation has done to our railways and infrastructure.    

“The only way to sort out the mess unleashed by the Tories botched privatisation of our railways is public ownership, full stop.”