Cost of travel by train has become extortionate.

Ev Marcus, Leeds

I use East Coast a lot and I love it. Public transport should not be a private enterprise – it should belong to those who use it – us.

Marion Perrett, Leeds

I’m old enough to remember BR. While it needed investment it was in so many respects better than the confusion of current arrangements. Re-nationalise, rationalise.

Marilyn Holloway, Leighton Buzzard

I support Caroline Lucas’s proposal to take each rail component back into public ownership as franchises finish. East Coast shows how much better it would be.

Steve Higgins, Leeds

Great Eastern commuters have no choice of rail companies, so how can privatisation be of any use to this line? Private business always wants to make profits, not run great railways.

Russell Stubbs, Colchester

It just makes sense to have all the rail network run by the government. Public transport should be a service not a profit-making business.

Alison Glennie, Seaton Sluice

We need a rail system that looks after the public, not share holders as at present.

Allan Precious, Billingham

We need to bring back British Rail properly with an integrated public travel system like they have in Switzerland.

Paul Bright

Just give the people an integrated, efficient railway, not the chaotic, privatised system which only benefits shareholders.

John Tute, Huddersfield

Railways are vital infrastructure and need investment throughout the country to benefit all.

Margaret Castro, York

The rail system needs to be re-nationalised. We need a safe, reliable, efficient and cheap service, run for our citizens, not private profit.

Judith Higgs Gomila, Harrow

Profits from the railways should be going to the Treasury, not to shareholders. East Coast has put millions into the Treasury and should be allowed to continue.

Elizabeth Sheard, Wolverhampton

it is time to take our core industries away from the thieves and fat cats and restore them to the public sector. People before profits. Off with their heads.

Dean Bell, Retford

The whole franchising business is ridiculous, incredibly costly and to no obvious purpose.

Charles Page, Carbost, Isle of Skye

The sooner, the better.

Christian Decle, London

Tickets are priced far too high and the service is atrocious. Bring back the service for the people.

Amanda Sym, London

Essential services such as the railways should be run for the benefit of the public, not for private profit. Privatisation has proved to be a disaster.

John Raine, Leeds

Let’s have a public service that everyone can use and not just for the rich. Let’s go back to simple pricing and timetables that are realistic and get rid of the middleman.

Les White, Stafford

Time to end the nightmare of privatisation and the myth that it gets results. It’s pure greed.

Terry Connolly, London

Free the railway.

Paddy Cawkwell, Doncaster

Trains are a public service, not an excuse to make a profit.

Amila Y’mech, Tedstone Delamere

Great idea. It’s time it was taken out of private hands before we have no railway at all.

Olive Baines, Leeds

An infrastructure that serves the whole country should never be in the hands of private companies. East Coast Rail has proved this.

Alan Taylor, Coalville

Bring back BR, and the great four.

Zaki Hughes, York

Anything would be an improvement and one single operation would make booking easier. People not profits should be the top priority for such services.

Ann Scott, Birmingham

I have watched a well-documented TV series – East Coast railway. It’s a great argument for nationalisation of Britain’s railways, with fulfilled, hard-working employees.

Christine Isherwood, Macclesfield

Having been a regular user of train services, I have seen no improvement and yet year on year price rises that far exceed salary rises. It’s a racket and it needs to stop

Phillip Crosby, London

I don’t approve of private profit-seeking for public institutions.

Jill Jerram, London

Rather than making the service more expensive and worse, make service better and cheaper. The only agenda of the company should be cheap and fair travel.

Lorentz Bloom, Leeds

A single integrated rail enterprise is the most efficient and logical way.

Chris Haines, Warrington