Happy birthday to our railways - Here's to the next 200 years

This year our railways are celebrating their 200th Birthday.

I kicked off the “Railway 200” celebrations locally at Leighton Buzzard Station, meeting passengers who depend on trains to get to work and to leisure activities.

I learnt about the history of the station and the line to London which was engineered by the forward thinking civil and mechanical engineer Robert Stephenson. He was son of George Stephenson who’s Locomotion No. 1 steamed into history, launching the modern British railway two centuries ago.

From steam, to the British Rail sandwich, to the present day, a lot has changed on the railways and there’s more to come.

The Government is about to start restoring train services to public hands where I believe they belong, beginning on the London to Weymouth and South Essex stretches.

In the following years, routes like Leighton Buzzard to Euston will follow.

This move will save up to £150 million annually in fees; tackle delays, cancellations, and confusing ticketing; while putting passengers first.

John Major’s privatisation of rail was a mistake, but the Labour Government is righting that wrong.

We won’t see improvements overnight but it will be an important step in the right direction.

The Budget announcement means East-West Rail is also on track unlocking faster journeys for local people first towards Oxford and then to Bedford and Cambridge. It will open opportunities and help cut emissions.

Plus, the five new “tap in, tap out” ticket machines installed at Leighton Buzzard Station as part of a £20m government investment will soon be switched on.

This will mean passengers can tap their debit cards, with fares calculated automatically - no more fiddling with apps or machines.

As a member of Parliament’s Transport Committee, I’m pushing for even greater progress: including long overdue upgrades at Euston, improving broadband on trains, more plug sockets on local trains and integrating rail even better with buses.

For two centuries, railways have shaped Britain - driving industrialisation, aiding wartime efforts, and connecting communities. Now, they’re key to a sustainable future.

So, happy Birthday to our railways. Here’s to the next 200 years.