MEP calls for an end to foreign rail firms

The claims were made by Shropshire MEP Jill Seymour after the Government granted bidding rights to three more train companies from countries which do not themselves allow foreign operators.

The latest companies invited to stake a claim for UK rail business are Italy’s Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, Spain’s state-owned Renfe and France’s Transdev.

Mrs Seymour, the Wellington-based MEP for the West Midlands, said just one in three rail operators eligible to bid for franchises such as Great Western and Cross Country were British.

“Passengers are already being asked to pay rail fares which are rising above the rate of inflation," she said.

"The fact that this money could soon be lining even more foreign pockets makes matters even worse."

Mrs Seymour called on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to reform the "shambolic" franchise system, which she said made a mockery of the supposed privatisation of the railways.

“If we’re not careful, they may soon be majority owned by foreign governments,” she said.

Mrs Seymour, who is Ukip's transport spokesman, said the result of the Brexit referendum showed that people wanted political leaders to put their own country first.

“It’s tantamount to admitting we are incapable of operating the British railway system ourselves," she said.

Mrs Seymour said overseas companies should only be allowed to bid for British rail franchises when they worked in tandem with domestic companies.

At present there are three rail franchises covering Shropshire: the British Virgin Trains, which operates inter-city services, Arriva Trains Wales which is owned by the German state operator DeutscheBahn, and West Midlands Trains, which is a consortium of the Dutch company Abellio and Japanese operators Mitsui and JR.

But Mrs Seymour voiced concern that the income generated from the services was going abroad.

“Revenue which is raised through our railway network must be kept in-house, to be re-invested for the good of our country – not to line the coffers of another nation by selling out British-based industries," she said.