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

It should never have been stolen from us in the first place.

Leon Maurice-Jones, London

Rail fares increase, subsidies higher than ever, privatisation in its current form is abysmal.

Andrew Dolan, Peterborough

The private railway is not more efficient. It is interested only in the bottom line, not providing any kind of a service.

Phil Simpson

People, not profit.

John Walker, Bradford

The railway should be run for the good of the UK, not shareholder dividends.

Joe Kelly, Cambridge

We need to make rail travel easier and less expensive. A revived British Rail should aim to achieve that.

Mark Clough, Bideford

National travel should be cheap and affordable and subsidised by government. The gains to the economy would more than pay for it in my opinion.

Michele Webber, Colchester

Southeastern to go.

Paul Jeffries, Kent

I suffer using the Thameslink driver-only service, with no on-board announcements, and I consider this dangerous. Trains consistently delayed/cancelled due to broken trains.

Mark Arnold, London

The train is my favourite form of transport but now I’m retired train travel is a luxury that is becoming one I cannot afford.

Linda Ringrose, Nottingham

It should never have been privatised in the first place. People before profit. Bring back steam. Think of the jobs created within the coal industry and reopen the pits.

Michael McPate, Mansfield

Governments in other countries recognise the value of public ownership of railways. The Labour Party should make it their policy.

Cheryl Jones, Sheffield

Urgent public ownership of the railway system must be a priority.

Brandon High, Royston

No public service should be run for private profit as it can never serve people’s interest.

Chris Moon, Bridgwater

It is incomprehensible that a national necessity is in the hands of private companies, many of them foreign.

Thomas Davies, Ross-on-Wye

This is our railway. It should be run as a service and not profit going into private hands.

Jessica Gale, Nottingham

No to HS2. Money to North, Northeast rail to the South not the other way round.

Ken Ormston, Cramlington

These railway companies are rubbish. Definitely bring back British Rail.

John Ward, Birmingham

Here we have HS1, which is great if you want to go to St Pancras, but our other services have been downgraded and, of course, HS costs more.

Sarah Williams, Faversham

Bring back the Big Four at least.

Peter Carbines, Sutton, Surrey

Service.

P Stone, London

Save our railways.

Zoe Pearson, Exmouth

Major hated national rail and privatised it to pay profits to investors and companies. It is an expensive failure for taxpayers and users. Re-nationalise it.

Jacqueline Zylinski, Hereford

This week’s announcement that the East Coast rail network has returned £1billion to the taxpayers’ purse should be a nail in the coffin for the madness of privatisation.

James York, Edinburgh

In order to have a fully integrated transport system, we also need to bring back the National Bus Company!

Alex

Sort out the mess.

Jo Havell, Telford

The railways are getting worse and worse under private ownership.

Tobias Abse, London

The return to BR is indisputable when the obscene amount of money siphoned off to the chosen few is taken into account.

Barry Edwards, Hatfield