The divergence in prices and many promotions make booking for rail impossible.

Chris Osborne, Norwich

21st century and our transport system is a shambles. There’s a lesson here – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Definitely don’t sell it.

Victoria Maclean, Telford

I am a frequent traveller on East Coast mainline and prefer it stays as is.

Barbara Jenkins, Wakefield

We need a national approach as part of a national transport strategy with profits re-invested, not paid out to shareholders and meeting the overheads of private sector.

Raymond Watson, Bingley

Bring back British Rail.

Nicholas Parry, Colchester

We must stop treating the railways as a way of filling private pockets with taxpayers’ cash.

Brian Binns, Harrogate

Bring it back to stop putting performance ahead of safety.

David Haines, Humberston

the cost of rail travel in the UK is getting more expensive but is still increasingly inefficient. It should be re-nationalised.

Will Bale, Caerphilly

My other half works for a subcontractor for Network Rail and is mistreated and unhappy with how they are treated both in and out of work.

Carrie Machin, Stoke-on-Trent

Privatisation was done on the cheap, supposedly to allow the firms to upgrade the network which they reneged on.

Mark Stewart, Ayr

Northern Rail – what a rip off.

Anthony Webster, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

I have to use the train to get to and from work. They have used every excuse they can come up with.

Helen Cullivan, Hutton Brentwood

The trains are overcrowded, overpriced and cost the tax payer more than when nationalised. They used to be a bit scruffy but at least you got a seat.

Kay Hallam, Tadley

Private companies are interested in profit. They will only deliver a service which is profitable and not the one travellers would prefer; cheapest fares on the day of travel.

Robert Hall, Naillat

It was so much better when we ran it ourselves.

Susan Rogers, Manchester

Cheap trains for all

Noz Mcneil, Derby

Privatisation has failed. Any monopolistic system with so many interfaces and profit being creamed off the top is just illogical.

Paul Clark, Southampton

All utilities should be nationalised and run for the benefit of the public, not shareholders, with profits being ploughed back into the company to modernise.

Anne Callaghan, Blantyre

Service for the benefit of the people, not for the profit of minority.

Douglas Thain, Dundee

Enough is enough, I don’t care about fancy stations with shops and restaurants. I just want to go to work and get home with the minimum fuss.

Joe Loughrell, London

Bring it back.

Kay Davies, Nantwich

It only makes sense, operate like DB and see success like East Coast and London Overground, bringing in huge sums if money.

Stan Fay, London

Re-nationalise. The current service is by no means reflected by the price we pay.

Ian Stainthorp, Leyland

The current situation of private companies is chaotic and inefficient for customers and increasingly impoverishing for us and enriching for the shareholders.

Marilyn Tsiorvas, Sheffield

Why are we playing subsidies to companies when we can run a train company at a profit for the country ourselves?

R B, Huddersfield

I can’t contemplate using the railways again, ever.

Geoff Cook, Calne

We have tried both public and private ownership of the rail network and it is obvious that it works better as a public institution.

Amelia Asbury

In a world where our “public” services just keep getting worse and worse, please see sense.

Christopher Fazey, Chester

How stupid. Virgin’s Glasgow to Birmingham trains are diesel, but the line is electrified – the price of fragmentation.

David Alcock, Glasgow