Certain services do not fit with capitalism. The only successful railways are heavily subsidised. Re-routing this into shareholders’ pockets is wrong and ineffective.

Freddy Brown, Bristol

The kind of people who complain about the bureaucracy of the EU are the same kind of people who designed the Byzantine complexity of Britain’s privatised railway.

Terry Grimley, Birmingham

Bring back Pride of Britain – the good old British Railway.

Vignesh Vinayagam, London

Indeed – ‘Bring Back British Rail.’

Fiona Macaulay, Edinburgh

All for this. People not profit.

James Lewis, Chester

Bringing back British Rail is a wise policy which is essential for our economic and social recovery and future shared prosperity.

Paul Bright

Our fares are so much higher than everyone else’s in Europe. Canterbury – Swansea is £90. It’s time for change!

Daniel Bourn, Canterbury

Yes, National Railways – Dutch/Euro style.

Vicky Long, London

Terrible idea when they did it, and even worse now.

Justin Rivett, Taunton.

Railways should be run for the good of the people and not exist to line shareholders’ pockets.

Norman Horton, Darlington

Bring back the good old days.

Louie Withey, Southampton

They should never be in private hands.

Andrew Radek

I’ve always tried to use alternatives to car travel but rising train fares have made it increasingly difficult. The result is more car use, congestion and pollution.

Tessa Thomas, London

Public transport in public hands.

Cecilia Ballesteros, Hove

The fact that the taxpayer is now subsidising the railways to a greater extent than when they were in public hands and paying far steeper fares is a joke.

Chris McDonald, London

I’m a Master’s student from Newcastle living in Cardiff. Extortionate rail fares mean that I’ve barely been able to see my family over the last four years.

Liam Hamilton, Cardiff

Public transport, publicly owned.

Shaun Rogan, Enfield

British Rail was much better than everything that followed.

Roderick Slater, Edinburgh

Among other evils, the process of privatisation destroyed nearly all of our train building companies.

David Salinger, Leeds

When it comes to public transport, the green measures the government boasts about are belied when rail companies can increase their fares at will.

James

Public services are not for profit.

Mark Donoghue, Dartford

Give us back our railways.

Robert Robinson, London

Private operators waste too much time apportioning blame for late trains between each other.

Aaron M, East Sussex

This situation is disgusting with no respect and no dignity.

George Moore, Ardrossan

Why should profits be given to the fat cats when the profits could and should be ploughed back into the industry?

Roy England, Watford

We need a not-for-profit rail network. East Coast has succeeded since being taken out of failing private hands. Bonuses and payments to shareholders put the prices up.

Jean Wilson, Bradford

Trains should be accessible and far more affordable over longer distances, rather than using a car and the expense of fuel. Also more employment should be created.

Kevin Price, Nottingham

We need our rail system back in the public sector so private companies can not rip us off every year. Its getting to the point that I cannot afford to get to work.

Ayse Smith, Orpington

Surely profit would be better in the government’s bank account to keep the money in the UK.

Ray Dawes, York

Privatisation puts profit before performance. Privatising organisations is why this country is such an undesirable place to be. Bring back nationalisation.

Conor Tomlinson, Bolton