I am a train driver of thirty years.

Andrew Derrett, Ipswich

An absolute disgrace – the expense, the bad service, the delays, the uncertainty. I say, nationalise the lot. It can’t possibly get any worse.

Monique Van Beek, Cambridge

Network rail is going bust.

Nigel Brown, Portsmouth

Bring back British Rail. It was great. I had the best journey ever in 1985 from Kings Cross when it was good old British Rail.

Jane Walton, Horbury

I pay over £2000 per year for my train ticket to Manchester. We’re stacked in like cattle, no straw, always late. Public transport is a public service, so take it back.

Paul Clarkson, Brighouse

The original sale of British Rail has proved to be a costly mistake for commuters and the public purse.

David Connelly, Bury

The privatised railway costs five times what British Rail cost.

Stephen Noble, Wakefield

We need to bring the railways back to the people. It’s getting so that we can’t afford to go to work.

Lorraine Martland, Milton Keynes

Privatising the railways was a misconceived policy that wasn’t even prosecuted competently. It is disgraceful that driving is cheaper than train fares.

Andrew Grant Robertson, Edinburgh

What does ‘peak time’ even mean? So I have to pay more, but it’s highly likely I might not even get on my train, let alone get a sea. It should be the complete opposite.

Mike Hellyer, London

Bring back British Rail. One major train company for the whole of the UK. No battles to be made to find the cheapest ticket with different rail operators.

Louise Long, Barking

Bring back British Rail – I’ll even have the sandwich!

Simon Thompson, Kendal

The last train journey I made was a nightmare and the toilets were broken and/or filthy.

Charlotte Moncrieff, Brighton

We need all our public services to be nationalised. Let’s start with the railways.

Stella Thomas, Hebden Bridge

Take away control from the people who have assumed too much control and give it back to the people who have earned it.

Valerie Campbell, Gosport

While you’re at it, re-nationalise gas, electricity, phones and water.

Roddy Macdonald, Sheffield

Twenty years of private incompetence. It’s time to re-nationalise.

David Bonner, Harrow

Screw Southern Rail.

Alec Hayes, Burgess Hill

I am a retired employee of WAGN (12 years) and have seen a lot of change, most by foreign rail companies. In my view the rail system belongs to the public.

William Dudley, Stevenage

UK railways are years behind most developed countries. There is little incentive for investment in the current fragmented set-up with relatively short franchises.

David Otterson, Billingham

The rail network in the UK should be owned by the state.

Norman Fellows, London

Awful service which is often late, combined with insufficient capacity due to the lack of carriages put on by the operator.

Sam Hilson, Llanelli

Public services should not be a cash cow trough for corporate investors whose only interest is profit.

David Timpson, Ashton-under-Lyne

The news that Abellio have failed to plan for the loss of trains on its flagship service is the last straw for me.

Alan Stewart, Falkirk

Privatisation just doesn’t work for infrastructure or utilities.

Diane Baskerville, Birmingham

We are paying the subsidies so we should own the network.

Miles Stapleton, Worthing

Only an entirely publicly owned railway system will bring down fares and increase safety.

Robert Turnbull, Kilmarnock

They should never have been privatised.

Ian Tomlinson, Liverpool

Railways should be for the masses, not just for the super rich.

David Banks, Preston