Railways aren’t a market. If I don’t like, say, the London to Bristol train, I can’t choose a different train company. Capitalism without competition is just profiteering.

Tom Morris

The train service should be more integrated and more affordable, if they want people to use public transport.

Caitlin Burns, Leamington Spa

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

Amila Y’mech, Tedstone Delamere

Re-nationalise, but keep a limited role for the private sector in running some trains and ancillary services like catering.

Roger Hawkins, Morpeth

Greedy bastards.

Arthur Shaw, Bromley

One unified entity for the railways, in public hands, for the people of the UK, saving the taxpayer huge amounts of money. Look at East Coast. Enough said.

Rhys Williams, Manchester

We owned it, you sold it and we want it back.

Claire Liebig-Denham, Thornaby-on-Tees

What else is the government going to sell off? We’ll soon have no public services left. Please keep something which still works.

Barbara Badger, Edinburgh

Also red star.

Tony Rawlings, Woking

Oh yes please, let’s return to the sanity of a nationalised rail system.

Anne Stephens, Lancaster

As an actor I have to travel all over the place. I am just starting out, but I can’t afford to go to many an audition because of the crazy cost of train travel.

Verity Dams, Swindon

I’m sick of 20 years of being ripped-off for lousy services.

Deborah Ryan, London

We pay extortionate prices to stand like cattle. It makes no sense for a railway to be run for private profit.

Mary Ion, Bromley

The monopoly the train companies have over the lines we have no choice but to use is disgraceful and should not be tolerated

Kyle Amps, Birmingham

I would like to be able to afford to use public transport.

Chris Simpson, Lancaster

Stop the thieving speculators.

Ron Chalack, Sheffield

If even ‘Red Ed’ couldn’t be persuaded to re-nationalise the railways then it doesn’t look too hopeful – but good luck anyway.

John Hicks, Sunbury-on-Thames

Profits back into the running of the railways rather than shareholders’ pockets makes more sense than what stands at the moment.

Paul McDonnell, Morden

Cheap trains for all

Noz Mcneil, Derby

Re-nationalise the railways! Proof of the pudding is East Coast Mainline. Nationalisation does and can work.

Clive Glaister, Slough

Get freight back on the railways. Get cars off the roads and out of the cities. Implore Britons (especially politicians) to obtain a lost sense of civic duty.

Charlotte Suckling, London

The privatisation of an integrated railway system has been a failure. It has brought nonsensical fare structures. Many trains are simply not fit for purpose.

Stephen Holmes, Wakefield

An innovative transport system built with the shovels, barrows and early graves of our Victorian forefathers – today’s capitalist corporation is an insult to their memory.

Peter Hannifan, Bournemouth

Not-for-profit railway.

Carl Nolan, Liverpool

GNER was the most efficient service in the country when back in public hands, which says it all. Privately owned means profit before investment.

Michael Barlow, Durham

Nationalised railway with decent management.

Mike Lawley, London

Yes Bring Back British Rail.

Charles Lewis, Edinburgh

Stop the wasteful fragmentation of our railways. Put the mega-profits back into the infrastructure to improve services.

Kevin Morrison, Blackpool

Keep it simple. One railway operator and save all the billing charges and lawyers’ costs.

Judith Hodgson, Liverpool

We have an absolute mess now.

Denise Smith, Exeter