AS this week's annual Trades Union Congress in Liverpool prepares for a debate on the future of Britain's railways, the RMT union has published results of an opinion poll  showing 70 per cent of people support the return of Britain's railways to public ownership.

Only 23 per cent of the 1,017 people questioned supported continued privatisation in the industry, according to the RMT.

The state of the railways, including the future of the East Coast Main Line inter-city passenger franchise, will be debated by the TUC in Liverpool on Thursday - when the RMT will be calling for support for the full re-nationalisation of the railways, as well as London Underground.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "This poll... shows that the Government are miles out of step with the voters when it comes to the crucial issue of who owns and runs our transport services.

"We are calling on the Government to use the return to public ownership of the East Coast Main Line in a few weeks' time as the starting point for a re-nationalisation of the railways and not as a short term crisis measure."

He added: "If Labour are serious about re-engaging with their core supporters, they can prove it by making a bold statement on public ownership of the railways."

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