Privatisation of the railway system has done little for the people of this country, except to bring them larger fares, so I say Bring back British Rail.

Maureen Farrar, Mexborough

The only way we will have a truly national railway run for the country and not profit for foreign companies.

Karl Johnson, Pontypridd

Public transport should be owned by the public.

Vivienne Aldred, Preston

It’s a terribly disjointed and unsatisfactory national rail system, geared not towards public satisfaction but to private profit.

Luke Whaley

Privatisation sucks in England.

Jean-Marie Avril, Cheltenham

What an excellent campaign. Get rid of these vile profit making companies who are ruining the railways.

Anthony Ellison, Greenhithe

End the travesty of rail franchising and the burden on this country of false promises and devious commercial practice.

David Nicholas

The East Coast Line shows how successful public ownership can be, ploughing profits back into the Treasury. Privatisation is a failed ideology.

Robert Street, Dronfield

There is no reason why a government-run rail system can’t be efficient.

Pat Vinson, Cheltenham

I remember the days when we had a wonderful national transport service, unlike today.

Simon Leavesley, London

I was a teacher for 42 years in the public sector. The Conservatives want to privatise education and the NHS, and I think both would be disastrous, just like the railways.

Ted Goodhew, Maidenhead

Let’s turn the privatisation tide.

Peter Murray, Doncaster

I would rather the public purse profited from a crappy rail service than fat cats and their shareholders.

Richard Sutton, Hexham

Bring back British Rail.

Liam Sheerin, Brighton

It should be run not for profit but for the best and cheapest service.

Ian Casey, London

You can tell by the overcrowded trains that people want to use railways and there are others who want to use it but are put off by the fares. BR did it better.

Raymond Austin, Houghton-le-Spring

I have thought for years that BR should never have been privatised. See Private Eye for our messed-up railways.

Hilary Warr, Holmes Chapel

We need the railways in public hands.

Anwar Afhim, Brighton

Give it back to the public who own it and stop the profits going to shareholders.

Ernie Mirfin, Ashford

I travelled by steam train to school. It”s the best way to travel if only they were better organised.

Jean Gray, Whitstable

Railways are a public service and need to be run as such. We are wasting millions of taxpayers’ money running private railways.

Graham Williams, Hampton

Rail privatisation has been a disaster.

Frank Bradley,

Fair deal for passengers and not money going to shareholders.

Robert Stewart, Akeley

The East Coast fiasco showed why re-nationalising the train network is the most common-sense option.

Edward Tyrell, Liverpool

Poor service, no rolling stock, later and never early.

Alexander McLean, Kilmarnock

Why should we continue to put up with over inflation prices with profits going to the rich rather than being invested in providing a better train service.

David Glover, Chipping Norton

Privatisation has failed – fragmented services, high fares, health and safety issues, fewer staff and worse to come. No to private profit, Yes to public benefit.

Carrie Hedderwick, Sheffield

Rail and all transport should be a public service, publicly owned and controlled, not the profit making toy of the private sector.

Alan Martin, Liverpool

Privatisation has been a disaster. Let the state run the railways – they did a much better job.

Barbara Webb, York