Britain badly needs a good, efficient rail system which caters for the needs of people, not subsidised companies who are interested only in profit for shareholders.

Neil McCart, Cheltenham

They should never have been privatised in the first place.

Andrew Butler, Lincoln

I lived in SE London for a long and happy time and used BR quite a lot on the way into town. Never was I late or felt unsafe. Privatising is a huge mistake. British Rail forever.

Ant

Bring back British Rail. Bring it back now.

Richard Owen, Liverpool

Why subsidise private railway companies? They are leeching public money. Railways should be a public service.

Jonathan Barnes, Hitchin

Why take away people’s meal ticket when you can’t better their lives? Reduce rail fares and re-instate retrenched rail staff.

Gbenga Anisere, Reading

Some things (education, health, public transport, water and fuel) are necessary for all for a decent standard of living and should never be run for private profit.

Suzanne Taylor, Watford

Its all about greed when it should be about the public who pay for it all. It should be put back into public control where someone will be answerable to the masses.

Susan Welburn, Sheffield

Keep up the good work.

Guiseppe D’Angelico, Leeds

It is only with the basic infrastructure of a country run well and for all that real business can work for the benefit of all.

Maggie Lloyd, Hastings

Now the East Coast line is in public ownership, it is more efficient and makes a profit.

Tim Byrne, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The sooner the railways are back in public hands the better.

John Blamire, Livingston

There would be less of a north/south divide if people could afford to visit other areas in the UK. It will benefit all communities across the nation.

Joseph Till, London

I believe that all public transport, electricity, gas, and water should be re-nationalised for the benefit of the consumers.

David Frost, Sunderland.

It would be great to have British Rail back.

Yvonne Rouse, Eastbourne

Good nationalised public transport is essential to any civilisation.

Linda Duckenfield, Sheffield

Oh, yes please.

Annie Bulmer, Edinburgh

The Government already pays towards supporting the railways and is being fleeced by the companies that run it, so let’s get rid of all these free loading fat cats.

Peter Green, Cleethorpes

A fragmented service, owned by mainly foreign companies, charging higher fares than the rest of world for benefit of shareholders not passengers. Re-nationalise it.

Jim Lacey, Holyhead

Trains for the people.

Heather O’Hara, Blackpool

The railways have been a total mess since they were first de-nationalised by a Tory government, or should I say given away?

Joyce Morgan, Hastings

It couldn’t be worse than the present ridiculously complex arrangement and other countries seem to do it well.

Kenneth Moore, Bradford

There are certain services that should be run on a not-for-profit basis because people rely on them, e.g. water, gas, electricity and transport.

Frank Smith, West Bromwich

As a commuter I’m sick and tired of being robbed blind every January. Plough the profits back into the service, not shareholders’ pockets.

Simon Morris, Potters Bar

Bring back British Rail.

Steven Wilson, Haltwhistle

We subsidise the private companies when they make a loss and they keep the money if they make a profit. Why would we not re-nationalise?

Mark Bebbington, Bury

I’m totally in favour of re-nationalisation. It would be better for staff, customers and the environment, as more of us would use it if it was cheaper and more efficient.

Kay Groom, Kinghorn

Privatisation has meant soaring ticket prices, ever larger subsidies and inferior service. Transport in the hands of the state (East Coast) will always outperform private.

Peter Sansom, Glasgow

There is only one way to run an efficient railway – not-for-profit and with close government control.

Martin Percy, Wellingborough