PROPORTION OF TRAIN SERVICES UNDER FOREIGN OWNERSHIP DOUBLED IN LAST DECADE
The news comes ahead of train ticket price rises tomorrow
The proportion of Britain's train services under foreign ownership more than doubled during the past decade, new figures show.
Analysis by the PA news agency revealed that 61% of journeys are with franchises owned by overseas companies or governments, compared with 29% when current records began in 2011.
The Labour Party claimed the figures show passengers are helping to fund foreign states' railways, describing the situation as "perverse".
Rail fares will increase by an average of 2.7% across Britain from Thursday.
Franchises under full or partial overseas control on routes which were completely in domestic ownership at the start of the previous decade include Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, ScotRail and South Western Railway.
The number of different countries with a stake in Britain's train operation has also increased, from five to eight over the same period.
Published: by Radio NewsHub