New trains could be publicly owned rather than leased under Great British Railways to reduce costs and “best serve taxpayers”, the transport Secretary has said.

Heidi Alexander told the Labour Party conference that the government will set out a new policy for future train procurements.

A case-by-case approach will be taken when considering private investment, leasing, or public ownership for new trains, she said.

It comes after the government announced it was nationalising Avanti West Coast services next March.

Ms Alexander pledged to “address the hidden challenges that hold the railway back”.

She added: “For nearly three decades, most passenger trains haven’t been owned by the train operators themselves, but by rolling stock companies known as Roscos.

“Rosco’s bought the train and leased them back to operators.

“The train operating companies saved money upfront, but it also brought significant long-term costs.”

Ed Miliband said he was not looking to follow Canada and pitch for “associate membership” of the EU, telling the Labour conference the UK’s future lay in a deeper relationship with the bloc.

The foreign secretary said: “I was at the EU informal foreign ministers’ meeting in Ireland at the beginning of September and round the table you had the foreign ministers meeting of Ukraine, Canada, Iceland that had just voted narrowly not to begin accession talks, and the UK and indeed Norway.

“And I think we remarked around the table that there was a sort of wider grouping.

“I think it does go to the (Mark) Carney agenda, by the way, which is countries working together, united by values, by alliances, on a whole range of issues.

“So, I’m certainly not pitching for associate membership, but I think there are ways that we can work together.”

Residents living near RAF Fairford say they were told to stay indoors hours before police received a call about an alleged foiled bomb plot – with one claiming they were told an attack was about to happen.

has seen message from a WhatsApp residents’ group chat showing that, shortly before 6pm on Saturday, one resident claimed to be told by armed officers that there was intelligence over an “imminent” attack. Another said they were told to make their way home and stay indoors.

Five British nationals in their 20s were arrested on Sunday, initially on suspicion of explosives offences and later terrorism, after an incident near the military airbase in Gloucestershire, which is used by US bombers. Counter-terrorism officers are understood to be investigating whether Iran is linked to the suspected terror plot.

Ed Miliband declined to say whether Donald Trump’s claim that the suspects arrested near RAF Fairford had been under surveillance.

The foreign secretary told a meeting on the fringe of the Labour Party conference: “You will understand there is an ongoing investigation and a limit to what I can say.

“What I will say is, as I said in my conference speech, I think this emphasises the vigilance we need against the threats that our country faces, including on British soil.

“I think that the counter-terrorism police, the intelligence services, the police themselves have done a really important job in arresting the suspects.

“Beyond that, sorry to be disappointing, I’m not going to say anymore because it’s a live investigation.”

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