Public transport is for the public good, not private profit

Marcus Bonner, Hitchin

Public transport. The clue is in the title.

Mark Read, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Privatisation may be cheaper short tern, but if the railways were publicly-owned any future profits would benefit the country not shareholders.

Barbara Brogan, Letchworth

To help bring about environmental change and a better rail network.

Thomas Sargent, Ingoldmells

I live in Switzerland, but it’s sad to see how the country, that innovated the railway, loses the railway system in this ridiculous way.

Hans Nussbaumer, Teufen, Switzerland

Scrap HS2 and re-invest in the East- West Oxford to Cambridge Line. Re-open the inland route from Plymouth via Tavistock to overcome future flooding at Dawlish etc.

David Bassett, Aylesbury

A unified railway system is the only way. Bring back the branch lines too.

Christopher Evans, Byton Hand

Privatisation has made the railways much worse.

Ralph Baker, Margate

It was much better when it was British Rail.

Clive Rider, Erith

British Rail should be nationalised as should more of Britain’s privatised industries.

Gwyn Davies, Wrexham.

With train fares being as high as they are, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to see my college friends over the holidays – £22 from Southwick to Eastbourne.

Joe Corr, Shoreham-by-Sea

I keep telling Miliband it’s a vote winner, but does he listen?

Bob Archer, Barrow-in-Furness

The nationalised East Coast service has been great. Rail is too important to give to the private sector. All revenue is needed for improvements, not for shareholders.

Delia Lomax, Edinburgh

Barrow-in-Furness is really struggling already and needs a great deal of upgrading where the train service is concerned.

Lilian Ryan, Barrow-in-Furness

Railways must be nationalised. They should never have been privatised. It’s a service not a business.

Daniel Sargent, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Severe lack of peak time trains (e.g. back/forth Brighton) and also lack of scheduling with local bus services, makes getting to work time-consuming, expensive and awful.

N Zaidi, Brighton

And we want clean trains.

John Podger, Ware

Like most of Britain’s privatised industries, most of the assets of the railway industry are no longer owned by the people, but by the banks.

David Latimer

Nationalise the railways for the benefit of us all.

Colin Laidler, Washington

Let’s have a proper rail service for the country to be proud of once again, instead of people rammed in carriages like cattle.

Brian Holmes, Walsall

I wish the absurd state of our industry would end and get back to a single, no-nonsense organisation, with no shareholders, just public service.

Owen Bushell, Alton

It’s about time. A nationalised service is the common sense solution.

Adam Powell, Ely

A key strategic resource that needs government ownership and control with a not-for-profit ethos.

Stephen Dixon, Hebburn

They should never have been sold off.

Mary Kitt, Caerphilly

Once British Rail was the best in the world. Today it is at the bottom of the list. Shame that privatisation created millionaires at passengers’ expense.

Anna Bartz, Leeds

Let’s run our railways well like the French and the Germans, rather than subsidising them.

Rochelle Bloch, London

I’m sick of being charged extortionate prices by rip-off merchants who monopolise the rail way.

Benjamin Harper, Stoke-on-Trent

Bring back BR.

Sean Brown, Barnsley

When British Rail was in existence the price of a journey was set. 1st and 2nd class. Now it is a muddle and many different fares depending on when you book. Not good.

Margaret Al-Rekabi, Nottingham

There is no reason at all why we should not have modern, efficient, cost-effective public services. It’s common sense that this will work better for our railways.

Penny Hassack, St Albans