Infrequent, unaffordable and useless shareholder-focused. This is the reality of rail travel in the UK 2014. British Rail was better for us the people and we want it back.

Rich Larkin, Sunderland

Yes please. I am sick of all these different companies and the fact that the government has to subsidise them in any case.

Christine Entwisle, London

I work in Signalling Operations for Network Rail. Schedule 8 payments are government subsidies to private companies. Bring back British Rail.

Matthew Workman, Warrington

Public money pouring into private pockets can only be justified if the private system worked better. It does not. So, please bring back state-owned British Rail.

Gareth Greenslade, Bristol

Application of honest good sense on this matter is long overdue.

John Butler, Strabane

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

If only Miliband had some guts and re-nationalised the whole shebang of former public industries.

David Abbott, France

Privatisation of public utilities has been a colossal failure and has served only to enrich the already wealthy. Nationalise public utilities now.

Mike Conley, Kidlington

I would class China as a country with levels and standards below ours. Their rail service is amazing.

Nicholas John, Cardiff

They should never have been sold off in the first place.

Tim Mapston, London

The privatised system doesn’t work. Nightmare pricing, poor service.

Barbara Hastings, Nottingham

It just makes sense to me – people before profit. That goes for all the other utilities (gas/electricity/water) that have been privatised for the rich to make more money.

Lesley Jones, Hull

One rail network always worked better. Plus the industry could go 24hr to meet today’s demands of work/social gatherings, providing more jobs. Also trains every 20mins.

Tim Shufflebotham, Canterbury

Save the planet. Give us a better public transport system.

Mark Parsons, Bristol

What would BR look like now if all the money wasted in privatisation had been invested in BR.

Peter Fisher, York

National transport should belong to the nation.

Jeanette Harold, Consett

How many other countries’ railways are private? Not many and look at the service they provide.

Paul Heath, Spennymoor

East Coast was a excellent service. Why let Virgin take it over? ScotRail is a disaster – dirty, unpunctual trains.

Peter Manuel, Stornoway

Re-nationalise British Rail to be run for the people not private profit. You know it makes sense.

Paul Geraghty, Warrington

It’s time to stop funding private companies’ profits.

Robin Marks, Ramsgate

It’s a shocking current service. Every six months ticket prices rise yet there’s no improvement to the service. There are delays every day.

Hannah Mordin, Cambridge

Over-priced, badly run, a shambles that is our railway system. Bring back a unified British Rail that is affordable and reliable.

Lena Shukla, London

We are fed up and angry at the blatant disregard for what is a vital piece of our economic infrastructure and what made Britain a leader in engineering world.

David Mcintosh

This should never have been privatised and, compared to other European countries, rail services in the UK are inefficient and overpriced.

Natasha Yee-King

That should never have de-nationalised it.

Terence Charles Maddocks, Birmingham

The train ticket lottery is madness, and the obvious lack of true competition between companies is hindering rail transport development.

Alice Saville

It would be nice to have the trains back running from Fleetwood to other parts of the country again so that people can travel to work.

Norah Stuchfield, Fleetwood

I travelled as a student on BR with ‘Passenger luggage in advance.’ Where are such services now? It’s all about money.

Jean Taylor, Selby

They should not have been privatised in the first place. Like all the utilities they belong to the people and not private companies.

Peter Wilson, Glastonbury