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Bringing Britain's railways back into public ownership is a popular idea with passengers - but would it really make any improvements to service?

Renationalisation of the railways is official Labour party policy. Polls suggest a majority of voters favour it too - and that was the case before the recent problems with Southern Rail.

With the help of the Conservative former transport minister Michael Portillo, David Aaronovitch explores the history of British railway ownership, asks whether it's possible to make the privatised system work and finds out how a future government might go about bringing the railways back into public ownership.

Contributors:

Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside and Chair, Transport Select Committee

Laurie Macfarlane, Economist, New Economics Foundation

Michael Portillo, former Conservative Minister of State for Transport

Michael Schabas, railways consultant

Christian Wolmar, railways historian and journalist

Producer: Phil Kemp
Research: Sam Bright.