Just because London is where the money is, it isn’t where all the people are. We deserve better, not for the profits, but because we deserve and need it.

Rowan Brock, Chester

Public ownership is best for the people and country.

Fred Green, Canterbury

Rail is an essential part of the national infrastructure.

Kathy Fletcher, Coventry

I agree with what has already been said.

Doreen McCarthy, Gateshead

Railways, like many national services, should be run and owned by the state. We used to have the best railway in the world, which was chopped up and spoiled.

Mike Gotteri, Sheffield

Economic and reliable rail travel is not a luxury but a requirement for a modern, successful economy. Get rid of the franchises and nationalise the railways.

Ray Laidlaw, North Shields

One company, one goal.

Ian Hendry, Perth

An affordable and functional public transport system is necessary for a nation to thrive.

Dave Lee, Dartford

The railways now are such a mess – very overpriced, because of the ‘competition’. What is the point of saying more? We all know.

Teresa Price, Barnsley

Privatisation of the railways created the TOCs (Train operators) and ROSCOs (Train leasing companies) all wanting a share of the subsidies. How can it not cost more?

Louis Stephenson, Fareham

I want to fight the privateers.

Nicola Raymond, Maidenhead

Nationalise public transport.

Alex Harvey, Sheringham

Put customer service before profit and stop this ideological nonsense.

Steven Benson, York

How are we supposed to fight climate change when it is nearly half the price for me to travel by car from London to Manchester, than get an off peak advance train?

Rebecca Armstrong, Manchester

Rail privatisation has been a disaster.

Roger Chiswick, Huddersfield

It’s not all about profit.

Tony Wilmot, Birmingham

I come from Blackpool to Manchester each day for work. This costs £3236 per year. The trains are old, dirty and generally not up to standard with the amount I am paying.

Debbie Horn, Blackpool

De-privatise the railway.

Lisa Nesbitt, Southend-on-Sea

Profits should not be used to pay shareholders, they should be used to improve services.

N Summerson, Luton

We need more control of the costings and fares.

Neville Hymus, Liverpool

A cohesive national rail service that belongs to the people rather than to private operators is what is needed. Currently it is disjointed and expensive.

Sue Edwards, Cheltenham

The privatisation of British Rail should never have happened in the first place. Typical Tories ran it into the ground and then sold it off at a massive loss.

Sara Browne, Bedford

Re-nationalise now.

Edward Pentney, Taunton

British Rail should never have been privatised for it belongs to the people.

Allan Savage, Cramlington

Just look at East Coast. We in the North could do with a bit of that.

Max Burton, Manchester

Our rail, our gas, our electricity, our commons, our streets in the hands of profiteers. I hope they shall soon perish.

Sharon Borthwick, London

I’m a recent convert after travelling on state-owned railways in Europe – cleaner, cheaper, air-conditioned, punctual.

William Boyd, Ware

I totally agree. A national railway is the only way to run a vital passenger and freight-carrying network. The privateers need to be banished from our railways.

Stephen Done, New Brighton

I’ve just travelled back from Germany and I am clearly envious of their equivalent of BR. If they can do it, then we can do the same.

Richard Treloar, Portsmouth

Public services are becoming a system of exploitation against the people who must use them, and in fact work for them.

Eleni Stavrou, Derby