We need a national rail system which has the needs of passengers at heart rather than those of shareholders.

Marion Wallwork, Nottingham

I am a poet and satirist who wants to bite into the hotch-potch of money-grabbing rail companies.

Ian Allan, Margate

The railways are already nationalised, but it’s the people in Europe who own our railways. Take them back!

Roger Averill, Northampton

Cheaper to run a car than go on a train. Yes, you have traffic, but you’re in your own world and not stuck thinking “Why am I paying this much just to get to work?”

Paul Chappell, London

A great place to start. Then we can see about bt and the other utilities.

Iain Woodfield

As a child (I’m now 65) I travelled everywhere by train. I’ve been on trains across Europe in recent years and found them affordable and efficient but I can’t afford them here.

Marilyn Moore, Darlington

Nationalise everything. I’m sick to death with being ripped off.

Ryab Nicholson, Goole

It’s simply not possible to deliver effective services to stakeholders whilst maximising profits for shareholders. All the evidence available proves this point. BBBR.

Katrina Dorman, Liverpool

Profiteering from our infrastructure might be good for the profiteers but is not good for consumers or that old-fashioned notion of the ‘national interest’.

Susan O’Brien, Lancaster

The prices have become outrageous.

Lorena Shaw, Stirling

I remember when it was affordable to travel by train. It’s far too expensive these days, so I use my car. I’m not paying for the greedy fat cats’ huge salaries and bonuses.

Robert Collis, Chesterfield

Whose Railways? Ours. Give back our railways.

Peter Sains, Bishop Auckland

There is overwhelming support to restore our railways to public ownership and politicians must listen.

Doris Brunt, Biggleswade

Why do I pay more for a shorter journey? Ticket from Weybridge to Kew Bridge is cheaper than the shorter journey from Addlestone. I hate the railway companies.

Gavin Jones, Addlestone

Common sense over chaos.

Chris Palmer, Runcorn

The railways are farcical. Stop this fragmented system and bring back common sense.

Stewart Bramman, Doncaster

Yes, bring it back.

Alasdair Lumsden, London

Britain’s railways are for the people not for profit.

Greg Taylor, York

Kingston-upon-Thames.

Grace Kennedy, London

It should not have been done in the first place.

Cyril Rhodes, Sheffield

Retired BR R&M Fitter. I left because of privatisation after joining BR WR in the 1960s at the Swindon Apprentice Training School. Privatisation is a shambles.

Michael Lewis, Haverfordwest

Privatisation has been a disaster. Let the state run the railways – they did a much better job.

Barbara Webb, York

The privatisation of British Rail has failed. If I have to use the train to travel for one week (15 train rides) at least three of the trains are either late or cancelled.

Del Smith

It should never have been privatised. There is too much money wasted the way it’s run now.

Aaron Lee Gibson, Carlisle

Let’s get back to a rail network that was the best in the world. Look at other countries as models for what we should be aiming for.

Simon Coulton, Bradford

Some say British Rail failed the nation but what really failed the nation was the government, who took the easy way out.

Mike Friend

The rail service should be a viable alternative to car travel but in reality the public are held to ransom by an extortion racket.

Anthony Hopkins, Bristol

If it’s true that the major shareholders of the rail companies are the state-owned rail companies of Germany and Holland, using profit to subsidise their fares, it’s disgraceful.

Paul Norman, Burgess Hill

The news that Abellio have failed to plan for the loss of trains on its flagship service is the last straw for me.

Alan Stewart, Falkirk