The UK's railways would not be re-privatised under an incoming Conservative government.

The Tories say their acceptance there could be no revival of Railtrack, which was put into administration last year, ends the ideological debate over railways.

With such a new consensus, the focus can be put on how to raise standards for passengers, they argue.

Not-for-profit company Network Rail has now taken over the UK's railways after former Transport Secretary Stephen Byers put Railtrack into administration.

City confidence

Conservative shadow transport secretary Tim Collins explained why his party did not want to reinvent Railtrack.

"If Conservatives claim credit, as we should, for the fact that privatising the operating companies has produced the biggest rise in passenger numbers for many decades, we have to accept, I'm afraid, that Railtrack did not produce the benefits we had hoped for.

"We also have to accept that the City has made it clear that following the collapse of Railtrack, there is no prospect of them underwriting a further flotation."

Tim Collins: Time to end 'sterile ideological debate'

Mr Collins told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the decision offered stability for the rail industry.

"Labour accepted that the train operations belong in the private sector, we accept today there can be no return for Railtrack.

"That means the sterile ideological battle over who owns what in rail is over and we can concentrate on what frankly matters far more, which is improving the unacceptable level of customer services."

That ideological debate had produced a "no score draw", he suggested.

With Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith signalling his party would aim to cut taxes, Mr Collins rejected claims this moved against attempts to improve public services.

Mr Collins argued: "If you look at the record, Conservative governments in the past have cut taxes but invested more on rail in every one of our 18 years in government than Labour planned to invest in rail in every one of their 10-year transport plan years."