Since returning to public ownership, delays and cancellations on our commuter trains have got worse, not better. So why is Labour doubling down? Asks Thomas Turrell

When Labour took South Western Railway into public ownership earlier this year, they promised passengers a new era of punctuality, reliability and accountability. They have failed. Within just a few months, passengers have been left to suffer the opposite: delays spiralling, cancellations soaring and services deteriorating at a worrying pace.

The figures are staggering. Since May, cancellations have risen by an average of 50 per cent. Trains are running later than before – with delayed minutes per 100 miles up by 29 per cent. The number of services arriving between 30 minutes and an hour late has more than doubled. Passengers were told nationalisation would fix things; the reality is their journeys have become less predictable and more frustrating.

This isn’t about dry statistics –........

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