Rail: Beeching announcement 'a sick joke', says Labour's McDonald

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald has called the government's plan to reopen parts of the railway network closed under the Beeching cuts "disingenuous".

He said the launch of a £500m fund - promised in the Conservative manifesto - was a "rehash" that would have little impact on the experience of passengers.

"To herald it as the reversal of the Beeching cuts is, quite frankly, a sick joke," Mr McDonald added.