Stand united for our rail network.

Shaun Passmore, Worksop

A national rail system needs to be restored. How Michael Portillo has the nerve to go on European rail journeys and extol the virtues of their systems.

Mark Cowley, Liverpool

I use East Coast a lot and I love it. Public transport should not be a private enterprise – it should belong to those who use it – us.

Marion Perrett, Leeds

Just bring it back.

Frances McGinlay, Largs

27 years on the railway from the original British Rail to Vtec. How can you privatise East Coast who made millions for the government? Reverse the decision.

David Owen, Peterborough

Public ownership only.

Thomas Eddleston, Macclesfield

Re-nationalise the railways.

Chris Cooper, Worcester

Things can only get better if we bring it back. Fairer fares and no complicated deals.

Robert Gordon, London

East Coast is publicly owned, well-run and makes money for us – the public. Let’s see the rest of the network follow suit.

Carole Price, Hexham

Stop selling off our national assets for a quick pound to balance the books. Bring back British Rail.

Paul Craft, New Romney

The safety of rail travel is being put at risk more than ever before all in the name of profit. Since it was all privatised, removing guards will only cause more problems.

Douglas Isbell, Dorchester

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

BR was sold for Tory profit. Taxpayers were robbed of their investment. It’s time to take it back.

Mike Fowler, Peterborough

Essential services should be provided by taxes – not toys for corporations to rake in the profits and screw the people they know have no other choice of travel.

Liam Murphy, Birmingham

Privatisation has never improved anything because fragmented systems are like a bunch of unrehearsed musicians playing without a conductor – disharmonious chaos!

Bee Warren, Nottingham

A nationalised rail network would reduce confusion and probably work a lot better than it does now.

Amy Mason, Brechin

No comment needed. It’s obvious this needs to happen.

Benji Clifford, Bexhill-on-Sea

So it could be cheaper.

Kieran Pearman, London

They should never have been sold off in the first place.

Tim Mapston, London

It just simply doesn’t work properly in private hands.

Marj & Don Bennett, Southport

It’s criminal what happened and continues to happen to the railway.

David Hill, Crewe

Stop subsidies for profit-making companies. Look to Europe on how to effectively run a national rail service.

Steven Parker, Weston-super-Mare

Privatisation has failed both the passenger and our Country – all in the name of political dogma. The East Coast line is a symbol of this.

Keith Elliott, Stokesley

Privatisation has made our railway one of the most expensive in Europe per passenger mile. It’s been a disaster.

Anthony Stanton, Cambridge

The success of East Coast where private companies failed makes the case for bringing back British Rail.

Eileen Gibbon, Sheffield

They should never have been privatised. It is costing the taxpayer far too much and fares are unacceptably high. We are at the mercy of privateers.

Simon Harris, Mansfield

Once upon a time we, the common people of the UK, did own BR. Then we gave it away to the rich kids to play with.

Louis Boyce, Kingston-upon-Thames

British Rail should be owned by the people.

Dawn Price, Nottingham

It’s time we returned to a service that respects its passengers rather than rips off its customers.

Paul Robson, Hartlepool

For all its faults British Rail was still 10 times better than the current services.

Chris Ritchie, Ipstones