TORY Transport Minister Robert Goodwill laid bare yesterday his plans to forever prevent a repeat of the East Coast rail public ownership success — across the whole of Europe.

Buried in a written statement issued by Mr Goodwill was an update on discussions over the EU’s Fourth Railway Package — proposed laws on the deregulation of railways across the EU.

“The key outstanding sticking point is the question of when a public authority should be able to decide not to hold a competition for a rail contract and instead make a direct award to their chosen train operator,” wrote Mr Goodwill.

But the Tory minister’s proposal to make competition a legal requirement would make it impossible to take railways into public ownership when franchises with profiteers expired.

A Survation poll before the general election showed 63 per cent support for publicly run railways.

Rail union RMT general secretary Mick Cash said it showed that the Tories were trying to roll out their sell-off obsession across Europe.

Britain is one of seven EU member states where rail is run by the private sector, but Mr Goodwill is also supporting proposals in the package enforce compulsory competition in all 28 EU countries.

“I intend to underline the success of liberalisation and competition in revitalising the UK railway market over the past 20 years and to argue that competition is vital for a competitive and sustainable railway sector,” his statement said.

Labour MEP Lucy Anderson is leading opposition to privatisation plans in the Fourth Railway Package in the European Parliament.