Speaking at the party’s conference in Liverpool, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh confirmed that plans announced under former leader Jeremy Corbyn to return the UK’s train system to public ownership have not been dropped under Keir Starmer.

“There is no point offering infrastructure announcements of investment unless we radically reform railways as well, because for too long decisions around investment and infrastructure have been made completely divorced from the reality of the way railways are run,” she said.

“I am here to confirm today that the next Labour government will radically overhaul our rail system and we will outline the detailed vision for that in the coming days, weeks and months.

“We are working in lockstep with unions, mayors and with local leaders and industry. That means bringing our railways back into public ownership, where they have always belonged.”

The party has created a “comprehensive” strategy to improve the UK’s rail...