Please re-nationalise the railways.

Colin Naisbitt, Stockton-on-Tees

Monopoly public services should be in public hands. Our money should be spent solely on the service, not on corporate profits.

David Willingham, Eastbourne

Perhaps they will concentrate on getting the people where they want to go, rather than simply getting the trains from A to B to chase service figures.

Frances Provan

People should be placed before profit. For that reason the railway industry is to be taken back to public ownership.

Kwasi Agyemang-Prempeh, London

Bring back British Rail.

Ieuan Berry, Newport

I wasn’t around when British Rail was running, but when I see other European countries with railways of a quality almost unrecognisable to us in Britain, I want BR.

Peter Staker, Edinburgh

I come from a family of railway workers. I believe in rail travel. I use the train to commute to work but privatisation has not worked and doesn’t put travellers first.

Emma Louis, Birmingham

Our rail system is dysfunctional and does not work for its passengers – you most clearly see this when you use a train anywhere in Europe.

Julian Bentley, Nottingham

The service is Dickensian and all about profit, not about the quality of service. We the general public are held to ransom by giving Southern Rail another renewed franchise

Angus G Bennison, Snodland

Our train fares should go into improving the system, not a businessman’s pocket.

Edward Padmore, Sheffield

Rail travel is experiencing a renaissance currently, so why aren’t we reaping the benefits? I want a public railway again.

Joe Kerr, London

Bring back BR now for everyone’s sake.

Alan McVitty, Welwyn Garden City

It’s outrageous the price I have to pay a month just to get to work. Every year it gets more and more expensive and the service gets worse.

Malcolm Smith, London

It’s something that has exploited the working people and we need to take back control.

Aaron Omeroglu, Haywards Heath

Privatisation has been an utter disaster, harming the people and privileging the exploiters.

Dr Lynne Wrennall, Southport

I just hate the way I subsidise the European state-owned railways through their owning our train operating companies and keeping the profits.

Krien Scarfe, Rayleigh

I am Scottish, but I use English rail a lot. Prices are unreasonable and efficiency is nil compared to ScotRail. Bring back British Rail!

Luke Sampson, Edinburgh

We need a national railway network that the whole nation can be proud of – not the shambolic mess that we have now.

Richard Smith, Bungay

The current situation is ridiculous. Prices go up and the service doesn’t improve.

John Bramhall, Newbury

Fares keep rising, and as a result I have found more people becoming unable to commute to work with us.

Matthew Macaulay, Coventry

Let’s get people moving on the trains at a good price. All working together. Unify our rail.

Mike Bond, Bristol

I just wish we could take over the franchises as they expire and run them, like East Coast. It works and it’s the cheapest way to get them back and then operate them.

Stephen Law, Stratford upon Avon

Please bring back British Rail – a decent, reliable rail service that the British public will be proud to use once more.

Beverley Wickenden, March

Cheaper fares, British owned, better living now.

Emily Sweetman, Potters Bar

In modern countries we have a right for education, health care and good transport. A nationalised rail infrastructure is the only way to complete the triangle.

John Smith-Warren, Wakefield

I’m definitely in favour of British Rail returning. Private companies like Virgin are expensive. We want cheaper rail. We don’t deserve to be ripped off.

Matthew McKenna, Gloucester

I visit Yorkshire frequently and have found the East Coast service to be the best in the country since its nationalisation in 2009. Let’s make this a nationwide success.

George Mulryan, Ealing

Exploitative and uncaring. Profit before humanity and safety. It is despised by everyone.

Anna Donfrancesco, Forest Row

I agree John Major had no right to sell it off.

Dorothy Chambers, Lincoln

Put the railways back into public ownership.

John Somers, Mirfield