The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has announced campaigners convened in London today (October 18th) to deliver a petition against privatising the East Coast Main Line.

It has been signed by more than 23,000 rail passengers, asking that the line remains under public ownership. Protesters included people from We Own It, Action for Rail and Bring Back British Rail, as well as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' general secretary Bob Crow and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association's general secretary Manuel Cortes.

The union argues that the East Coast Main Line is the only such line still publicly-owned within the UK and it has the support of various MPs from "across the political spectrum" - over 60 of which have signed an early day motion asking the government to cancel re-privatisation plans.

TUC general secretary and Action for Rail spokesperson Frances O'Grady said: "By taking the East Coast out of public ownership the government will be passing the income the line raises into the pockets of corporate shareholders, when it should be using the cash to reduce rail fares and improve services."

She said the line has made more than £600 million in contributions to the taxpayer and to privatise it would not be a logical course of action.