Great idea. Bring back BR.

Daniel Wellbeloved, London

Affordable travel is a necessity in terms of practicality and quality of life. As a student, despite my costly 16-25 railcard, I find train fares crippling and limiting.

Ula Taylor-Reilly, Portsmouth

For God’s sake it is so obviously a natural monopoly that it should be in public ownership.

Joseph Trapido, London

A necessity that is run for profit and greed, the same as the utilities.

Lucy Musk, Welwyn Garden City

I can’t afford to get home from university most of the time.

Jodie Morris, Watford

Non-privatisation.

Steven Houghton, Wakefield

Railways run as a public service, not as a money making operation . Profit should be ploughed back into operation to continually improve service.

Irene Lovell, Romford

Rail is a natural monopoly and therefore all arguments in favour of marketisation are a complete nonsense.

Nick Shepley, Cardiff

Not just popular with Labour core voters, but it would be popular in commuter land.

Hedley McCarthy, Blaenau Gwent

You know it makes sense.

Clare Whiting, Brighton

The East Coast line has demonstrated how a well run line can satisfy its customers and put its profits into the Exchequer. What more do you want?

Konnie Lloyd, Nottingham

I’m being priced out by season ticket fares, and am on a three year pay freeze.

Joanne Royston, London

It’s time we the taxpayers have more say on how our money is spent.

Robert Gordon, Liverpool

It’s quite simple. They should never have been sold off as they belong to the people.

Sheila English, Newport

Overcrowding, overpriced, understaffed.

John Roberts, Liverpool

Why should other state Railways (French,German, Chinese, HS2 etc.) own our railways, particularly as we can do it better?

Robin Murch, Dawlish

Re-nationalising is the only option.

George Falzon, Swindon

Directly owned East Coast railways is proving the best of our railway companies. Let’s follow that great example.

John Oliver, Bournemouth

Enough of this obfuscated mess.

Suzanne Hart, Royal Tunbridge Wells

Privatisation hasn’t worked, except for the shareholders who are taking our (tax and fare payers’) money out of the rail system.

John Hartley, London

Privatisation of British Rail was the biggest farce our country has ever created.

Liam Woods, Brighton

It is not working, late trains and profits going to faceless people, where it should be taking care of passengers. There are not enough carriages for folk to sit down.

Florence Arthur, Edinburgh

I’ve had enough of Southern Railways.

Tom Norman, London

We need a good reliable, reasonable travel network to support and reduce the amount of traffic on our congested road network.

Linda Walker, Birmingham

Private railways are failing, they cost us more and provide less. Re-nationalise the railway network.

Anne-Marie Griffin, Truro

All essential services should be returned to the public domain.

Malcolm Philpott, Enfield

I’d visit England much more frequently if it had a coherent rail system.

Geoffrey Taunton, Montmorillon, France

The only way forward for our railways is in the public sector as a non profit company. No greedy shareholders and over-paid directors to cream off the profits.

Robin Lenox, Whippingham, Isle of Wight

I am rarely on a train these days that is (a) on time, (b) not broken (c) has a driver or (d) completes its whole journey without being discontinued early.

Richard Glazzard, Tunbridge Wells

Stop ripping us off.

Raymond McIlreavy, Bonnybridge