Re-nationalise now.

Alan Brown, Basingstoke

Privatisation has cherry-picked the best routes and neglected less fortunate ones. We need a proper network again.

Peter Yates, Derby

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

John Blamire, Livingston

British Rail, while in public ownership, not only ran a better, cheaper service but it also cost the tax payer less than the private rail companies.

Ian Wilson, Mexborough

Yes, re-nationalise it now.

Chris Calo, Harleston, Norfolk

High fares, and taxpayers subsidies going in to the pockets of the few. Standardised BR Rolling stock was much more cost-effective than all the foreign trains of today.

David Fuller, Luton

Far too expensive and people getting rich on the back of it. Let’s subsidise and bring down prices, not make fat cats richer.

Aud Jones, Leicester

Restore public service. Even in a recession European countries manage to run proper railways without feeding private greed.

John Ketchell, London

Running essential services for profit is immoral.

Marijn Van der Meulen, Noordwijk

It’s time to stop the obscenity of big companies taking too much in profits at the expense of the public.

Marie Priest, Hove

Keep railways in the public sphere, not privately-owned.

Mark Allen, Bolton

It was the worst thing ever, selling off BR.

Martin Newins, Shrewsbury

Another example of the rape of this country by Westminster.

Reynold Hutchinson, Berwick-upon-Tweed

All power to your elbow.

Edith Hawley, Nottingham

Sort it out.

Sean Ryan, Liverpool

Privatisation of British Railways should never have come to pass in the first place.

P.J. Wilkins, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

It seems that the demise of East Coast has allowed the very rich companies who ran them to be let off from paying their massive debts – I.e. taxpayers money.

Margaret McGowan, Edinburgh

The train operating companies are not working for the benefit of the customers and fares just keep going up. Privatisation, like the utility companies, is one gigantic rip-off.

James Quinn, London

My son travels into London every day. Not only is the cost prohibitive but the coaches are appalling. So I can think of no better reason to give this petition my fullest.

David McLaine, Glenrothes

Bring back affordable transport and friendly staff. Bring back British Rail.

Fiona Rowe, Manchester

Travel is a necessity, a public service. No one should expect to make money out of it, and those who do should not be permitted to be in charge of it.

Joanne Cummins, London

It’s time the politicians let the railways be run by railwaymen and stop interfering in the day-to-day running of the railways.

Paul Green, Oxford

East Coast is making a profit for the taxpayers. The railways should benefit the people it serves, not make profits for personal gain.

Anne Sweetman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

I recently travelled to Germany. The Deutsche Bahn was far cheaper, more efficient and of better quality. Their example of rail public ownership should be followed in the UK.

Michael Owens, Wigan

These days it is cheaper for me to travel by car than by train. This is just wrong. The train should be the transport of the people, helping us all get on with our lives.

Darren Filkins, London

All profits should go back into the railway not into private investors’ pockets. Railways should be subsidised and for the people not the wealthy.

Mark Lauri, Reading

Something must be done before people cannot afford to travel within the UK any more.

Chris Howells, London

How has rail got so bad and so expensive? Turn it into just one company and bring back British Rail.

Joshua Tyler, Rotherham

Stop privatising national rail.

Hannah James, Nottingham

I believe that the country is best served by a railway in which all taxpayers are effectively shareholders, rather than taxes being siphoned off by a minority.

Phil Hellawell, Huddersfield