LABOUR has finally put “clear red water” between itself and the Tories, transport unions said yesterday after the Labour Party conference unanimously backed renationalising the railways.

Delegates endorsed a statement from Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) calling for break clauses in contracts to be invoked, meaning that franchises could be taken back before they expire — a plan the Morning Star revealed on Friday.

Shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood said that the franchise system was “broken” and that renationalisation would make way for “affordable fares for all.”

Rail union TSSA had withdrawn its contemporary motion on the subject after the NEC agreed to support all of its key demands.

“For the first time ever I’m supporting something the NEC has put forward,” said jubilant TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes.

“The Labour Party has finally seen sense and there is clear red water between us and the Tories on rail.”

Numerous past Labour conferences have endorsed renationalisation only for frontbenchers to announce that it would not be enacted.

“For years you have been our strongest supporters,” Mr Cortes told delegates.

“Every time (calls for public ownership) unfortunately fell on deaf ears. Well, no more.”

Train drivers’ union Aslef president Tosh McDonald said he had “never been happier.”

A renationalised railway would support other sections of British industry, he said, blaming privatisation for this week’s collapse of the SSI Redcar steelworks and the carbon capture project at Drax.

“It’s the same policies causing problems on the railways and causing problems in the steel industry,” he said.

Mr McDonald also damned ministers for allowing the Dutch, French and German states to bid for the Northern Rail franchise — but denying the British state the same right.

Labour Party treasurer Diana Holland said that access for disabled people would be central to the party’s transport policies.

Transport unions and party activists believed they were close to a commitment to public ownership last summer, but then leader Ed Miliband instead offered a compromise under which the state would be allowed to bid against profiteers for franchises.

This pledge matched a commitment made by Gordon Brown in the failed party manifesto of 2010.