Skip to main content
Regional secretary with the National Education Union
Labour's radical plans are on track
Rail must once again become a source of national pride, reliable, affordable and nationalised, writes RICHARD LEONARD

THE Railway Regulation Act of 1844 ensured that train travel became accessible to some of the poorest in society.

But it went beyond that, mandating a minimum standard of travel for passengers, and giving government the power to limit fares and purchase new lines.

It’s an example of how government intervention succeeded in bringing the benefits of new technology to the people.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
A bus under construction at the Alexander Dennis bus manufacturers in Falkirk
Voices of Scotland / 17 June 2025
17 June 2025

As bus builder Alexander Dennis threatens Falkirk closure and Grangemouth faces ruthless shutdown by tax exile Jim Ratcliffe, RICHARD LEONARD MSP warns that global corporations must be resisted by a bold industrial strategy based on public ownership

NOT THE PEASANTS’ REVOLT: Some well-heeled types make thei
Voices of Scotland / 3 December 2024
3 December 2024
The super-rich falsely claim inheritance tax changes will devastate small farmers, while millionaire landowners continue enjoying numerous tax advantages — why is the SNP supporting this nonsense, asks RICHARD LEONARD
SNP rosettes on show at the SEC, Glasgow, 2018
Voices of Scotland / 7 May 2024
7 May 2024
The 500 refinery jobs under threat at Grangemouth and underfunding in further education should be at the top of a new Scottish leader’s to-do list, argues RICHARD LEONARD MSP
NUM President Arthur Scargill (left) and NUM Scottish Presid
Features / 30 January 2024
30 January 2024
RICHARD LEONARD MSP looks at the life and ideals of the famous miners' leader and all-round champion of working-class politics
Similar stories
A piper walks the platform alongside the Avanti West Coast Class 390 EMU train as it arrives at Glasgow Central Station from London Euston, failing to break the 36-year-old record for the fastest train journey between London and Glasgow, June 17, 2021
Railways / 8 May 2025
8 May 2025

Our groundbreaking report reveals how private rail companies are bleeding millions from public coffers through exploitative leasing practices — but we have the solutions, writes Aslef Scottish organiser KEVIN LINDSAY  

Commuters walking past a ScotRail train at Edinburgh's Waver
Britain / 31 January 2025
31 January 2025
Voices of Scotland / 8 December 2024
8 December 2024
Despite promises of a new era under state control, the SNP government backs massive cuts to ticket office hours while ignoring safety concerns and excluding disabled passengers from consultation, writes ANN HENDERSON