The only way privatisation will work is to bring everything under the control of one body, a new British Rail. No more passing the buck to another company.

Darren Stephens, Chatham

Make the service a proper one for passengers and not just for shareholders. Also, please never call us customers.

Emma Anthony, Oxford

I’ve been living my entire life with a horrible, poorly managed railway network, that needs to be fixed. I’m happy to push for the passenger, not for profit.

Yua Newton-Gray, Merthyr Tydfil

Please bring back the concept of public service to British society.

Maurice James, St Albans

We need affordable, reliable rail transport. Privatisation has not given us that.

Marie Nash, Harrow

They’re not just privatising everything they can get their hands on. They’re closing all former nationalised industries. A socialist programme of action is the only answer.

Peter Farrell, Tunbridge Wells

Just do it. It’s the only way to sort out the mess.

Alex Chatterton, Shoreham-by-Sea

Bolton to Manchester at peak times shows Northern’s contempt and lack of care for their passengers.

Andrew Smith, Bolton

We need a rail service that provides service – not expecting a wheelchair user to push herself onto a platform up a slope.

Anthony Turtle, Hastings

Please bring back energy companies and, most importantly, the NHS into public ownership too.

Penelope Ormerod, Oxford

My father worked for BR for 24 years until his retirement. He saw the best and the worst of government interference. We need change now before it’s too late.

David Preston, Darlington

Privatisation is failing. Bring back British Rail.

Bobby Bowden, St Helens

This is a really important cause to support.

Sharmilla Beezmohun, London

Travel by rail has now become too expensive for many people on lower incomes. We now look enviously at other countries’ rail systems that appear to serve the people.

Carol Jardine, Edinburgh

It would be great to get the rail fairs back to something reasonable in a way that makes sense. Chester to Liverpool

Susan Shaw, Chester

More is being paid out in profits and share dividends than was previously invested in the railway.

John Wood, Sheffield

I quite agree, a not-for-profit set-up for the railway – a proven success with the East Coast railway. Privatisation was a very hurried piece of legislation.

Richard Kemp-Salt, Brightlingsea

Unbelievable ticket prices, huge mark-up and terrible service. Privatisation was a bad, bad idea.

Vaibhav Khullar, London

Bring back British Rail and reverse Beeching!

Christopher Brown, Leeds

Privatisation has never worked with bus and rail. Labour has failed to undo this and union rights.

Mervyn Davies, Colchester

We need a subsidised system of travel to help get us to work – not delay and tax us.

Paul Rum, Hove

Why did we ever privatise a fantastic national system? It doesn’t work.

Tim Pickles, Cardiff

Just bring it back to us. We have enough private companies that suck our money and waste it on high salaries for themselves.

Catherine Morley, Eastleigh

High prices, high profits, high bonuses. Where is the public service in that?

Alistair McKenzie, Luton

Being an ex BR employee I would dearly love to be that proud person who says I work for BR again. It was a great organisation and like a second family to me.

Rachel Pollard, Watford

Imperative for the future.

Christopher Gauntlett, London

Privatisation has been a disaster for passengers (not customers). Let common sense overcome ideology.

Robert Meyrick, Nottingham

Lack of private investment has destroyed our public rail transport system. We can have a better system offering no congestion, less pollution and faster journey times.

D Roberts, Cornwall

We have the most expensive and crowded system in Europe. It’s unfair and only benefits the shareholders who abdicate responsibility when there are problems.

Derek Staton, Crouch End

Privatisation of the network has been a total failure. The passenger has been failed at every turn, with only the shareholder and management profiting.

Keith Lawson, Newcastle upon Tyne