I am at a complete loss as to why we have these different companies. People should be encouraged to use public transport, to save the pollution of their own cars.

Glyn Pope, Barry

It was so much better before privatisation.

Esme Zarins, Newbury

They were good old days. Where I live you could get a train and go a long way on it.

Lindsay McDowell, Leeds

Trains in Europe are vastly superior and about a fifth of the price. Trains should cost less than flights and make people consider not driving. Add carriages and slash fares..

Dan Ross, Cardiff

I fully support re-nationalisation – let’s get our railway back and improve it.

Richard Partridge, Wellingborough

These days it is cheaper for me to travel by car than by train. This is just wrong. The train should be the transport of the people, helping us all get on with our lives.

Darren Filkins, London

We currently have a disjointed patchwork of private interests dictating the provision of rail services in accordance with the profit motive. I want to see a collectively owned system that is affordable to all!

Jonathan Brown, London

If only British Rail had got the subsidies all these private railway companies receive, what a network we could have had.

William Paddock, Edinburgh

Get the Swiss in to run the railways for us.

Rhisiart Williams, Cardiff

The price into London these days is crazy.

Peter Mason, Wickford

The network should be rationalised and expanded.

Veronica Haines, Llanelli

Bring back British Rail.

Joanne Turner, Camberley

We need a centrally-planned, efficiently-run railway again, run for the benefit of the people, and no more foreign-run franchises or shambles electrification projects.

Daniel McCarty, Sunderland

Privatisation is a disaster. Franchises awarded based on false claims of returns, and not on value and service.

Graham Triggs, Stevenage

I am a former porter on BR in 1949-50. I would like the railways back in public ownership.

Dennis Warwick, Burley-in-Wharfedale

The privatised railways are a total mess. Re-nationalise and run them as a public service, like, say, the roads.

Hywel Phillips, Reading

I’d like to see the disintegrated industry of ROSCOs and operators unified into one, employee-owned trust.

Rowan Bell, Nottingham

Stop the great train fare robbery. Bring back accountability and stop giving taxpayers’ money to private companies to do what British Rail did far better for far less.

Matthew Edwards, London

I am for an efficient, punctual publicly-run rail service, rather than the monopolies of private service providers we currently have, charging inflated prices.

Andy Broadey, Manchester

Bring it back into public ownership right now. If the East Coast services can do it, the rest of the network can. Public transport for the public.

Robbie Rudge, Glaston, Rutland

About ticket pricing. I had to tell USA tourists why I had a saver return ticket with seat (£12) to London & they paid £92+ each to stand.

Margaret Hunt

I would love to be able to take my son on a train to London in the same way as my parents took me. We need a public transport system.

Eira Short, Rochdale

Expand the network and take the lorries off the road. Get all containers transported by train.

Peter Josling, Arlesey

I support the re-formation of British Rail. The current un-unified service has caused me numerous problems

Iain Macleod-Brudenell, Nottingham

GNER, National Express and now Virgin Trains have ripped off customers on the East Coast Mainline, a service that was profitable and functioning fine until it was sold again.

Jon Veal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Shareholders take money out and contribute nothing. Spend that money where it is needed.

Isabel White, London

They should never have been privatised. The railway has been in decline ever since.

John Murdy, Lytham St Annes

Re-nationalise it now – the sooner the better.

Joe Tait, Southampton

Letting our railways be run by foreign companies just means that the profits will go on improving their own rail networks instead of ours.

Claire Crowley, Edinburgh