model-kurimizumi steps off the train. While walking down the platform, he briefly pauses and ponders for a moment whether to take the underpass like he used to do in his university days to avoid the congestion. But he knows that public visibility is important this election, so continues on to the bridge. And anyway, the bridge offers a faster way to his destination.

A short while later, Kuri steps up to the podium. There is loud applause and it rebounds off the walls of the old building. The sound engineers in the background look like they’re having fun.

“Thank you. What a wonderful morning, friends. I’m pleased we get to see the wonders of the National Railway Museum in York, the home of the Mallard which continues to hold the steam speed record. Railways have come a long way from the first experiments in steam locomotion in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. But today, I don’t stand here to talk about the past, but the present and what the future could hold.

“Thanks to the continued work of Labour and Co-op governments, our public transport is in good shape, with continued investments into public transport networks. But we know we can do more. We can’t stop at “good enough”. We must get to “excellent”. First and foremost, it is important that we continue improving connections between the home nations.

“Our manifesto commits to exploring an extension of HS2 to Scotland and high speed rail into the west of England and into Wales. Such links will improve the long distance connections between densely populated areas. Branching out from the high speed lines will be new local railways, including viable rural railways that were sliced in the Beeching cuts. People will not use services that do not exist and, in the case of public transport, demand often tracks supply to a degree. So while it may cost in the short term, the benefits will be immense in the longer term.

“Of course, railways are not suitable for every location. They require significant infrastructure, and cannot run to every settlement out there. Nor are they always suitable for intra-settlement links. So Labour will boost funding for other projects, including metros, trams and buses, tackling not just movement in and out of settlements, but around them — side to side, in a spider web like pattern. The only way we can increase public transport adoption is to ensure their net benefits are equal to or exceed private transport. If someone is faced with a 20 minute drive round the edge of a city compared to an hour going into and then back out of the city centre, the vast majority of the time private transport will be chosen.

“Right now, you are charged an upfront fee to use the public transport network. While it then provides you unlimited travel, it is an upfront cost. It doesn’t encourage people to make one off journeys or try out the public transport network for the first time. That’s why I back our policy to move to a pay-as-you-go system with fare capping. For those that primarily use private transport, it increases the incentives to make the odd journey by public transport. By showing that actually such transport is more convenient, we can aim to grow usage over time.

“Growing our public transit network is vital to reducing our emissions and protecting the future of the planet and the UK. But ensuring that we reduce the emissions of vehicles of all kinds is also important — otherwise our emission reduction efforts will plateau.

“That’s why we will promote new technologies to the extent that we are. I recognise the concerns that people have about electric vehicles, and we will work hard to address them. We’ve already invested heavily in charging points so you won’t be stranded without a way to charge. But we’ll work on standardising charging systems so that every car can charge at every charging station. And we’ll look into ways to prevent ICE’d bays — where internal combustion engine cars park in EV charging bays and prevent an electric car from charging.

“We remain committed to the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars. 6 years ago, the median range of an EV was 125 miles. Now, the median has more than doubled to 270 miles. And as new battery technology is explored, this number will increase drastically. The ban ensures that this innovation continues to take place and that, ultimately, prices come down.

“In the meantime, we will consider financial incentives to ensure that the price of electric cars are comparable to petrol and diesel costs.

“Our vision for the future of Britain's transport is bright. It recognises the need to travel, promoting public transit where possible. But it will mitigate the impact of travel and protect the UK from climate change. Thank you.”

Kuri proceeds to answer questions from the reporters present. After, he visits some local businesses including his favourite cafe — York Cocoa House. He spends a little too long there, eyes closed, tired from campaigning. But luckily his next train train towards Edinburgh is delayed and he still manages to catch it.