Only an idiot could think that giving a national network to the private sector could possibly save money for the people who use it.

Athel Dunning, London

Bring back British Rail. I can remember when the trains were run for the convenience of the passengers not the money grabbing companies running the railways now.

Joy Cuff, Teddington

Public transport should not be for private profit.

Jan Parry, Bristol

It’s a better service when profit goes back into the service not shareholders’ pockets.

Andrea Stow, Cleckheaton

Yes please. Let’s guard our rail assets.

Susan Golden, Bridgwater

It is a public service and needs to be in public control with no purpose for profit.

Yvonne Sanders, Maidenhead

Bring back nationalisation to reduce fares and generate more revenue for the Country.

Steve Hardy, Rhyl

They should be state owned, not private.

Paul Rex Dando, Shepton Mallet

Stop these greedy, outrageous and callous private monopolies

Ruth Rach, Lewes

I commute to London every day, with shabby, dirty, obsolete rolling stock and the most expensive tickets in Europe. I’m being shafted, aren’t I?

Jon Cooke, Flitwick.

Stop the profits going to the fat cats and put towards running a safe and cheaper railway.

George Adamson, Bellshill

My Father spent 41 yrs on the railway, from cleaner to top link driver, Royal Train et al. He said it would go to pot.

Philip Knight, North Petherton

the railways should never have been privatised in the first place. Why didn’t British Rail get the huge subsidies (public money) given to private companies?

Yvonne Filsell, Edinburgh

Train travel should always be cheaper than a single person driving. There is also a duty to provide affordable travel for citizens that are not able to drive.

Tim Tyler, Manchester

A unified system makes sense doesn’t it? And for other things too? Water for example.

Mike Boursnell, Cambridge

It’s about time there was a serious debate about the re-nationalisation of the railways. The present system is a farce.

Katy Collins, Hastings

I’m a British expat, appalled at degradation of public services each time I visit UK. Always a Tory voter but some things should remain in state hands. Singapore for example.

Richard Pendregaust, Dubai

It’s a bloody liberty.

Joseph O’Sullivan, Ware

Is the BR logo meant to be the wrong way round? Seriously the main aim must be to simplify the industry and reduce the number of expensive interfaces that currently exist.

Richard Spencer, Chippenham

Britain deserves a decent, homogenous rail network. Bring back British Rail.

Barbara Stewart, Colchester

End the national disaster of rail privatisation now, and give us back a state transport service for the people.

Paul Prescott, Leicester

I think it’s disgusting that we are still paying high taxes for services that are slowly being sold off. The government is a joke.

Christina Poole, London

Great idea, about time.

Patrick Hilley, Keighley

I use the East Coast mainline to visit my mother in London. I’m delighted with the service. Trains, like hospitals, schools, water, gas and electricity should belong to the people.

Caroline Bond, Leeds

Please re-nationalise the railways to enable more infrastructure investment, instead of lining the pockets of shareholders with the profits of the travelling public.

Steven Hurford, Watford

You don’t realise what you had until it’s gone. BR worked wonders and often led the way with scant resources and even less political support.

Christopher Heaton, Knaresborough

No other country in Europe employs the crazy system which we currently have in the UK, with public money supporting private companies whose profits go to shareholders.

Chris Jack, Edinburgh

Privatisation of the network has been a total failure. The passenger has been failed at every turn, with only the shareholder and management profiting.

Keith Lawson, Newcastle upon Tyne

Privatisation of major public services is an excuse to pass public money to the rich at the expense of the majority.

Jim Fisher, Luton

British Rail was privatised because it was said that British tax-payers should not subsidise the railways. We are now subsidising the privately owned companies far more.

Martha Young, Oxford