Train operator challenges Corbyn over lack of seating

Virgin Trains has released CCTV footage to challenge Jeremy Corbyn’s claims that he had to sit on the floor of a train because the journey was so “ram-packed”.

The footage shows that the UK Labour leader walked past rows of empty seats before sitting on the ground between carriages for a video in which he criticised the state of the nation’s railways. Minutes after filming the video, he took up a seat for the remaining journey of his trip from London to Newcastle.

The Guardian reported last week that the footage of the Labour leader was taken by Yannis Mendez, a freelance filmmaker who volunteers for his campaign. Corbyn reportedly chose to sit on the floor instead of upgrading his seat to first class.

“This is a problem that many passengers face every day, commuters and long-distance travellers,” he said in the footage. “Today the train is completely ram-packed. The staff are absolutely brilliant, working really hard to help everybody. The reality is that there are not enough trains, we need more of them – and they’re also incredibly expensive.”

He added that the episode made the case for the UK’s railways to be renationalized, one of his key policy pledges.

Corbyn had been travelling to Newcastle to take part in a debate against Owen Smith, who is challenging him for the leadership of the Labour Party.

Virgin Trains, which runs the service as part of its East Coast franchise, thanked Corbyn for his praise of its staff and said more capacity was being introduced at peak times.

“But we have to take issue with the idea that Mr Corbyn wasn’t able to be seated on the service, as this clearly wasn’t the case,” it added. “We’d encourage Jeremy to book ahead next time he travels with us, both to reserve a seat and to ensure he gets our lowest fares, and we look forward to welcoming him onboard again.”