If Mr Miliband tore up his advisers’ scripts and enunciated this as a serious aim for next year he could just win to give this notion real traction.

Martin Egan, Torbay

Fare-payers and taxpayers alike are currently subsidising rail operators’ profits. Look at the East Coast to see how much better trains run in public ownership.

Martin Price, Rowlands Gill

Private companies never have the service at the top of priorities. It’s profits that rule. The divide grows.

Michael Harvey, East Grinstead

How does it make economic sense to privatise an asset in order to save money when it has in fact resulted in triple the cost to run it.

Yvonne Maule, London

We should really do this.

Nigel Apperley, Bournemouth

I want my money going towards running the railway not to make profits for some corporate (probably multi-national) entity.

Amedeo Felix, London

£8 to go 5 stops. That’s £160 a month to get to work for an £800 a month job.

Sam Wynne, Poynton

A rail system that serves the people of Britain – not rips them off.

Timothy Williams, Colwyn Bay

I knew British Rail from years ago and a lot has changed, not all for the better.

Jan Van ‘T Zand, Kiltarlity

Transport for the working man/woman is too important to leave to the greed of private enterprise.

Robert Eadie, Glasgow

The range of fares available is a complete minefield to passengers and the only way to simplify them is to re-nationalise the railways.

Tracey Dyer, Tamworth

The privatisation left us in a worse state with little investment and a network not fit for purpose.

John Harrison, Leeds

I’m fed up with disjointed rail services and prices.

Linda Macfarlane, Woodbridge

Privatisation has failed. Railways are a natural monopoly and should be in public ownership.

Rupert Hildyard, York

Railways, Gas, Electricity, Water and Post Office should never have been privatised. They are too essential to be left to the vagaries of the market.

Raymond Curtis, Nottingham

This should be the age of the train.

Lorna Boyd, Whitley Bay

John Major stole the railways and sold them to his friends. It’s time to take back our railway.

Stuart Grant, London

Privatisation of a national public service inevitably only looks to increase the bottom lines of a few. This must end. Bring back British Rail.

Paul Nelson, Eastbourne

We need to do something because soon Kent to Manchester will cost over

Steve King, Royal Tunbridge Wells

Get rid of Southern.

Ethan Storey, Chichester

We simply must fight for a better life.

Stuart Flude, Durham

I was a Signalman for 10 yrs with British Rail and it was regarded as a Service and belonging to the Nation , not just another company to be bought, sold and milked.

Jack Harrison, Fleetwood

Got to be less rubbish.

Felicity Whyte, Shoreham by Sea

Please bring back a decent, nationalised rail service that is accountable to its customers and not to shareholders and profiteering executives.

Joe Rus, Trowbridge

Prices for train travel have soared through the roof and passengers are penalised financially if they travel at certain times.

Richard Brierley, Derby

Other EU countries have it so much better, so why can’t we?

Simon McDonagh, Lewes

Our railways are public services. Bring them back into public ownership.

Maggi Hunt, Northumberland

I think all the industries that were privatised should be re-nationalised.

Fiona Allan, Scunthorpe

Why do we have such an expensive and antiquated rail system ? Bring back British Rail.

Simon Blackmore, Manchester

Private companies messed it up once. Nationalised it had its faults, but this re-privatisation is a disaster. The only investment in our railways is still public.

Jon Carver, Bedford