Will a mainstream party have common sense enough to adopt this policy? Why are they so scared?

S Read, York

Whose Railways? Ours. Give back our railways.

Peter Sains, Bishop Auckland

Privatisation created structures that seemed designed to fail. The same investment in British Rail would have given us a service to match European services.

Kay Labon, Southampton

Rail privatisation is a rip-off for the commuter and the taxpayer and has led to an inconsistent and expensive service.

Steve Beckett, London

Passengers should be the only shareholders for BR.

Antony Dear, Watford

This would help more than 40% of the population on really low incomes to afford travel, also increase the value of British industry and British travel.

Andrew Blakeway, Glasgow

Nationalise the railways to make it a national system to give a unified and efficient service.

Graham Derry, Nottingham

Bring it home!

Philip Bridges, Brighton

The public ownership of the East Coast line, now being privatised, which has significantly failed in the past, shows public ownership works. on railways.

David Larder, Retford

A unified public sector rail network, properly subsidised, should be a much more organised, and profitable venture.

Michele Walker, Woodstock

It’s already subsidised so why not re-nationalise?

Daniel Pearce, Ebbw Vale

They should never have been privatised, and Beeching was a wrong move.

Vic Curtis

Re-nationalise British Rail!

Angus Brown, Edinburgh

Privatised railways put profit before passengers. The result is unreliable, expensive services which are less safe. Public ownership is the only cure for this disaster.

Paul Harrop, Hull

Tell me what I can do to help.

John Reeves, Edenbridge

My dream from when I was in my 20’s was to see Britain by rail — as it had the best railroad system in the World. I hope to still do that some day. Please de-privatise.

Naomi Durkin, Cortlandt Manor, New York

My husband worked at the carriage works all his life, then had to travel to Wakefield and Slade to keep a job he loved.

Diane Clark, Selby

We must bring back British Rail. It costs more to go on the train to Scotland than it does to fly anywhere in Europe.

Richard Capeling, Rochester

Re-nationalise our railways so we can once again be a united power on the rails.

Karen Fairhurst, Manchester

In view of the poor service and higher prices charged, why would we want to continue with private franchising? It is our railway, paid for and run for us.

Gareth Ayres, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The East Coast line is doing much better now it is run by the Government again – it is in profit.

Rosalind Brierley, Peterborough

British Rail should be state owned.

John Reed, Totnes

It costs me at least £150 to go home to Devon from York, and often I can’t get a seat and have nowhere safe to store my luggage.

Tess Farley, York

The railways are a natural monopoly best run by the state – just like the postal service.

Keith Marr, Hemel Hempstead

The privatisation was a greedy and doctrinaire disaster. Give us back our railways.

Hugh Ellis, Maldon

East Coast is handing back millions to the government. Keep it as Directly Operated Railways and do the same for the rest.

Tony Ethridge, Bridgwater

I would be so happy to have simpler and consistently priced train tickets.

Alison Cook, Swansea

Stop privatising everything. There is more to life than trying to make profits as the only priority. What about providing decent public services?.

Albert E C Hemmings, Salisbury

Enough is enough.

Anthony Sturdry, York

By improving the current rail system, fewer people will be tempted to use cars for longer journeys which would make the environment more sustainable.

Mike Stevens, Lancaster