Bring back British Rail.

Debra Norgate, Dewsbury

East Coast is publicly owned, well-run and makes money for us – the public. Let’s see the rest of the network follow suit.

Carole Price, Hexham

The recent East Coast experience has shown that the state could successfully take over all lines again

Ann Cohen, Edinburgh

I’m fed up with cancelled trains and rising fares.

Angela Bell, Didcot

The East Coast line shows how it should be done.

David Graham, West Yorkshire

Benefits for the many not profits for the few.

Mark Powell, Blackpool

I’m a regular ECML passenger – it runs efficiently and makes a profit. So if it ain’t broke why fix it? Re-nationalise the rest and who knows what improvements might follow?

David Fisher, Reading

Keep to one company not several in competition.

Dorothy Joyce Cox, Poole

A return to the status quo through re-nationalisation is the only way to bring this country back to good socio-economic health.

Rich Lane, Great Malvern

All the vast profits going into the transport companies and shareholders should be re-invested back into the system.

Mike Friend

We are a not very big island in the Atlantic ocean The railways, like electricity and gas should be run by the nation for the nation. We don’t need corporate investors.

Sue Radford, York

The present system is too costly to maintain with shareholders, banks and lawyers to pay. With British Rail all the track, signalling and operating was all under one umbrella.

Jonathan Baker, Whitstable

Please stop rail profits from going to non UK corporations and being used to subsidise non UK rail fares and investment in others’ infrastructure.

Andrew Lombardi, Eastleigh

British Rail should never have been privatised and, if at all possible, should be re-nationalised

Patricia Sever, Birmingham

The privatised railways have been, and continue to be, a failure.

Roger Turner, Markfield

I worked for British Rail and, although it was too top heavy (like Network Rail now – too many managers) it cared about the track and people.

Michael Howarth, Dover

The cost of public transport in the UK is appalling compared to many other countries. We should be encouraging the use of trains, not penalising it.

Eddy Mitchell, Leeds

Time to stop blanket privatisation of public services, including transport.

Penny Thornton, Storrington

I am Scottish, but I use English rail a lot. Prices are unreasonable and efficiency is nil compared to ScotRail. Bring back British Rail!

Luke Sampson, Edinburgh

Rail travel is over-priced and inefficient. Privatisation has only benefitted shareholders, not passengers.

Adrian Fish, Lancaster

They should never have been privatised. The railway has been in decline ever since.

John Murdy, Lytham St Annes

It would be great to go back to simple tickets and employ out-of-work people to help around the place. They were once known as porters.

Margaret Smith, Harrogate

The pricing system is incomprehensible and unfair.

Louise Prickett, London

These people are ripping off the British public big time. Most of us can no longer afford to go anywhere by train. The pricing system is ludicrously complicated.

Pat Campton, Hull

I don’t approve of private profit-seeking for public institutions.

Jill Jerram, London

Bring it all back.

Charles Zebroski, Swindon

Rail fares are way too expensive compared to our European counterparts. We need to do something about this.

Linyu Foo, London

I’m disgusted at today’s news about Virgin and Stagecoach, getting the East Coast franchise.

Barry Ould, Aylesbury

For the sake of convenience, and especially for those travellers who have to travel across country, let’s get tickets through one organisation.

Alan Martin, Weston-super-Mare

A railway is a social service and should be not-for-profit, at the lowest possible fares for all. Britain’s railway system is too expensive for many buying on the day.

Dr Adrian Morgan, Ripon