Running of the railways is set to become a key political issue this autumn after Labour appointed Jeremy Corbyn as its new leader, who in turn handed the job of Shadow Transport Secretary to Lilian Greenwood.

Mr Corbyn is a staunch critic of rail franchising and supports the idea of the railways being re-nationalised. This summer he told the House of Commons that special attention is needed “to fix the railways” where, he said we are spending too much and getting too little.

Two years ago Mr Corbyn said that British Rail – which was abolished in the 1990s – carried out a great deal of electrification, innovative engineering and scientific research. But he added that the system had been “grossly underfunded” and that British Rail was denied the funds it needed for infrastructure investment.

“We privatised the railway system and now spend more time on subsidising train operating companies,” he told a Commons debate in July 2013.

Ms Greenwood is the former Shadow Rail Minister who this summer said Network Rail has “serious questions to answer” over the Secretary of State’s decision to place a pause on two major electrification programmes.

She also told the Commons in a debate on devolution this summer that people in the Midlands “feel somewhat left out by all the talk of a ‘Northern Powerhouse’.”

Mr Corbyn has also been critical about Government’s investment in road building. In July he told the Commons: “It is as if the whole transport strategy has been turned on its head, so that instead of going for the more environmentally sustainable rail transport, particularly for freight, we are once again on a road building binge in a country that is already polluted and has too many vehicles on the roads.

“Surely we should be trying to rebalance our economy in favour of sustainable transport. I am not saying that we have to get rid of all cars—obviously not—but our transport policies have to be more sustainable.”