Rail should be the transport of the future and part of a government environmental public transport strategy – public being the operative word.

Cathy Moss, Redditch

Keep up the pressure. British Rail must be better and, hopefully, cheaper than the status quo.

Ann-Marie Redmonds, Huddersfield

Bring back British Rail is the best for the rail network since George Stephenson,.

John Taylor, Chesterfield

Stop the ridiculous system where it’s cheaper to travel by car to London than it is by train, leaving empty trains and overcrowded motorways.

Suzanne Jefford, Leicester

Nationalisation is the only viable option to secure the future of the UK railways.

Chris Roberts, Southampton

Passengers are being ripped off. If Richard Branson wants to play trains he should buy himself a train set.

Stephen Bowles, Normanton

East Coast is making a profit under state ownership. Keep it that way. Stop the rip-off price rigging of train tickets.

Keith Kennils, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Railways for the people, not profit for the elite.

Sean Jackson, Windsor

Return what was stolen.

Gebbie Jaeger, Bath

A government decision that was incredibly misguided and influenced by greed and corruption.

Andrew Iddenden, Aldershot

I worked for BR from 1992 till now on NWR and BR was the better job.

Derek Wood, Port Talbot

A non-profit railway system that is affordable for everyone and which serves the people not just the rich.

John Darrell, York

It was the best transport system around.

Marc Sharpe, Brighton

The railway network is a system to service the nation and ought not to be run in the piecemeal fashion of pre-war years. We see the same problems recurring now as then.

Gavin Millar, Liverpool

We want service, fair prices, flexibility and customer-centred business plan, not shareowner-centred exploitation. Get traffic off our roads to reduce pollution.

Michael Isaac, Ivybridge

The only thing that has improved since privatisation is the food – and then only on some trains.

Karen Murdarasi, Glasgow

Stop the scandal of private train companies running a monopoly service.

Alex West, Bournemouth

It’s always been over-priced in my adult life and it needs to change.

Maria Hyde, Milton Keynes

The East Coast rail line has been in public ownership since private operators pulled out. It is now in profit.

J Winton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Now would be a good time to re-nationalise British Rail.

Jeremy Tothill, Oldbury

I’ve been using East Coast trains for the last year and a half. I would hate to see this change.

Tereena Costard, Slough

Stop putting taxpayers’ money into rich shareholders pockets. East Coast shows publicly-owned railways work. Re-nationalise now.

Robbie Faulds, Seaham

Let’s reclaim at least one of our national bodies from big business and foreign investors.

Iva Ellis, Chesterfield

Some things in life should never be privatised. Education, the NHS, the Police, the Post Office and the Railways.

Bobbie Syrett, Leeds

I hope for a pay rise at the end of the year, just so I can afford to pay the fare rises. Real people get poorer every year, so bosses can get richer.

Chris Wright, London

Fees are extortionate, travel is long and unclean.

Charles Power, Sheffield

Nationalise more of the country. We all live here, not just the rich.

Joe Cairns – Doran, Brighton

East Coast proves that the railways can make money without private companies who have no incentive to make real improvements to services, just profits.

Terry Piper, Altrincham