BRITAIN’S railways became a political battleground yesterday as Network Rail (NR) was put “on the table” for privatisation — while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledged to re-nationalise rail if Labour gains power in 2020.

Railway maintenance was taken back into public control in 2002 after a series of economic and engineering failures in private hands.

And now a former First Buses boss drafted in by the Tories to review NR’s performance has signalled it could be handed back to privateers.

In an interview with the BBC yesterday, Nicola Shaw said a partial or total privatisation of Network Rail is “absolutely on the table. It can’t not be.”

But the HS1 chief executive’s comments coincided with a pledge by Mr Corbyn that renationalisation will be a priority if Labour wins in 2020.

“We know there is overwhelming support from the British people for a People’s Railway, better and more efficient services, proper integration and fairer fares,” he said.

“On this issue, it won’t work to have a nearly-but-not-quite position. Labour will commit to a clear plan for a fully integrated railway in public ownership.”

A Labour government will gradually take contracts back into public ownership as privateers’ franchises run out, he said.

Five out of 16 operator franchises are set to expire between 2020 and 2025.

Transport union RMT welcomed Mr Corbyn’s “sensible and popular” plan to put the brakes on two decades of “profiteering and exploitation.

General secretary Mick Cash said: “Since privatisation the British public have ended up paying the highest fares in Europe to travel on rammed out and unreliable services while billions of pounds have been siphoned off in company profits. It’s no surprise that 70 per cent support public ownership of the railways. “

He also warned Ms Shaw that she will face resistance from staff to any privatisation bid.

“This union will never sit on the sidelines while public and staff safety is threatened in the name of private greed and corporate profit,” he added.