The best part of the rail service these days is East Coast. Stop the privatisation, learn from the lesson of this publicly owned company.

Simon Aves, Edinburgh

The rolling stock leasing companies swallow up a hundred thousand pounds a year for each and every train – that money goes straight down the drain.

Thomas John Wheeler, Dyfed

It’s an essential public service.

Tim Miles, London

The current service is impossible for elderly or disabled. And for fully able bodied and mind. All British Rail ever did wrong was limp lettuce in the sandwiches.

Alison Affleck, Stroud

The railways should be for people, not private profit.

Margaret Berry, Nottingham

Re-nationalise British Rail and re-connect with the bus timetable so that people can plan an entire journey as we used to.

Emily Ormerod, Oxford

I cannot believe that it is appropriate for German and French nationalised rail companies to run British Rail, while our own success stories, like East Coast Trains, cannot.

Eddie Kelly, Peterborough

I travel on a bus for two to three hours extra to go to university and back as the trains are too expensive. It saves me about £26 per week.

Courtney Williams, Anglesey

It can be done, if only there is a political will. Do it for the people of Great Britain.

Pier Hausemer, Salisbury

Bring back British Rail, accept that privatisation is a failure and let’s start to rebuild for the future!

Mark Turnock, London

End over-complicated fare structures.

Fiona Brice, Hove

Bring back everything British to the people as the shareholders have taken enough.

Debs Connors, Wirral

We need a properly integrated system serving people instead of private profit.

Tony Newman, Guildford

Just bring it back.

Frances McGinlay, Largs

Because the current system is still costing the taxpayer millions, even though we then pay all over again when we buy our tickets.

Adam Lilley, Birmingham

I fully agree.

Tony Atkin, Grantham

I’m fighting for this in the Green Party, standing for Euro elections and this will be a campaign issue.

Shirley Ford, South Shields

The private companies are bidding too much for franchises and trying to balance the books by job cuts.

Gerald Guthrie, Glasgow

The prices are too ridiculous. I’m spending a quarter of my monthly wage on trains.

Pamela McFarlane, Ipswich

Sort it out.

Karl Roome, Leeds

Privatisation hasn’t worked. Re-nationalise now.

Sue Millman, London

It’s now become the elephant in the room. Stop haemorrhaging money from the railways to shareholders now.

Tom Organ, Bristol

East Coast is making money and they want to sell it off. It may finish up in foreign hands with our money going abroad, We need a joined-up railway system.

Douglas Arnold, Washington

Public transport should be in public hands. Our taxes shouldn’t be going to private corporations to make profit for them: they should go towards a better service.

Abby Sullivan, London

East Coast is a well run and efficient organisation, with helpful and friendly staff. Also it makes a healthy profit, more than Virgin and much more than First Great Western.

Leslie Allan, Whitley Bay

We were promised that privatisation would reduce cost and improve services due to competition but the exact opposite has happened.

Angharad Bethan Davies, Bristol

I have 24 years as a railway employee. I want us to be providing a service, not a business.

Eddie Saunders, Dover

I preferred British Rail. It would be more cohesive, good for people, lower fares.

Maureen Smith, Sutton Coldfield

After travelling to many European countries and using their train systems it is easy to see what we must do to fix our horrendous train service in the U.K.

Robert Morris, Uttoxeter