After 14 years of dead ends, here are three ways Labour can rejuvenate UK public transport | Jonn Elledge

Creating a better public transport system will be vital for meeting Labour’s economic goals and its environmental ones; and it would make for a much nicer country, too.

A full and immediate commitment to reverse Rishi Sunak’s ruinous decision to scrap the northern half of Britain’s largest rail project seems unlikely to get the nod from Rachel Reeves’ Treasury team, but the case for a new line remains as strong as ever.

We know that it is possible: London has always run its buses this way, Manchester and other northern cities are moving in that direction now, and the Scottish government recently legislated to offer such powers to its own councils.

Rolling this out would allow the rest of the country to brand and plan bus networks around social value rather than profit – to make buses easier to use, and to use the fares from busy routes to subsidise vital but less popular ones.

Better buses are the most cost-effective way to rebuild our public transport network, and to ensure those who can’t or don’t wish to drive can access economic and cultural opportunities.

A new Labour government should work with local authorities and the rail industry to find a solution to the region’s capacity problems, and commit to funding it.