The carriage works in York were closed at the time of privatisation and rail fares are far too high. A bloody disgrace.

Malcolm Law, York

It is instructive to note that SNCF, DB, FS SNCB, RENFE are all socially owned and remarkably they work and are affordable. Not so the over-priced mess that is the UK.

Jurek Narozanski, Ealing

My trains are late at least three times per week. The cost of my ticket is twice that of smaller journeys on non-commuter routes. How is this helping people in jobs?

James Purslow, Bristol

Public ownership is the only way to ensure investment in the future, lower fares, more staff and a railway that works for everyone.

Thomas Freegard, Swindon

British Rail was wonderful, not perfect but wonderful. Now prices are too expensive for me to use even with a disabled rail card. Please go back to British Rail.

Susan Homer, Stockton-on-Tees

We need a simple, affordable ticketing structure coupled with all the trains, tracks and stations being run by one publicly accountable body. That’s simple.

Nick Adams, Birmingham

Get rid of this scam now.

Lloyd Kennedy, London

It is a key national asset, fundamental to the economy and currently is being run for profit not for purpose.

Henry Sanders, Oxford

The railways are for all, not just for those who can most afford them.

David Anderson, Petersfield

Is has not worked. Bring back a publicly owned, publicly controlled, unified national railway system now.

Vic Brunt, Biggleswade

I’m a long-term commuter fed up with shorter trains causing overcrowding and no working together between Railtrack and FGW.

Lucy Buckland, Bracknell

Rail fares should be going back into the infrastructure and not to shareholders and the bosses of the multiple companies make up our railway.

Graham Henderson, Bordon

Privatise it now. Let’s get back to being a real railway again.

Ian Gornall, Preston

We need a fair rail network that is affordable and works.

Andrew Adam, Norwich

They should never have been sold off.

Margaret Powell, London

It was a lot better when British Rail ran the railways.

Peta-Jane Ditchburn, Andover

Passengers should be the only shareholders for BR.

Antony Dear, Watford

Many of the private rail companies are foreign national rail networks, so it would better be one British Rail.

Richard Waltereit, Whitley Bay

Privatisation is unstable and has cost the tax payer millions more than they should be paying and has created a poorer service. It is time to reverse the errors.

Simon Best, Leeds

The rail service prices have rocketed up. Edinburgh – London used to be £80 in the 1990s. Better public transport is essential for the economy.

Nigel Parry, Edinburgh

Cheaper to run a car than go on a train. Yes, you have traffic, but you’re in your own world and not stuck thinking “Why am I paying this much just to get to work?”

Paul Chappell, London

Bring back British Rail. Privatisation isn’t working.

Philip Kingston, Woking

I’d like a rail system where I can afford and understand the tickets, not one where I make fat cats richer.

Paul Blackwell, Theale

I work on the railway as a train cleaner and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard customers complain about the price of train fares.

Ian Wallace, Leicester

Bring back a modernised high-speed network and a unified BR, get rid of Network Rail and micro government interference.

Peter Boggett, Cardiff

Northern Rail are a disgrace.

Max Hutchinson, Manchester

The privatisation of British Rail is a failure and, like many other utilities, needs to be nationalised urgently.

Derrick Joyce, Newbiggin by the Sea