It took 24 hours or so to clear trees off the West Coast mainline on Sunday. I was in a taxi from Lancaster to Edinburgh. It was a shambles.

Mark Edwards, Lancaster

Since BR was privatised by the government it is now run by different companies. These companies hike up the fares every year and provide a poor service for high prices.

Eirug Griffiths, Neath

It has been a long time coming and at last the politicians are starting to listen to the public. It’s been long overdue in my opinion.

Neville Harwood

For too long the British public have been misled on this subject. Rail privatisation is a massive lie by government.

John Cupis, Bath

Taxpayers subsidise the private rail companies so that shareholders can have dividends.

Charlie Werner, Sandford

Please bring back our BR. It was Richard Branson who destroyed it by introducing Virgin Trains with buying off parts of BR.

Janus Polenceusz, London

It costs a fortune to travel and the service is below par.

Tony Lansbury, Maidstone

The private companies sell us a crap service year after year, but what are we going to do about it?

Phoebus Apostolides, London

Rail prices are high, service is low and standards are low.

Kevin Courtney, Liverpool

OK Osborne, we know you have failed with your debt reduction promise. Don’t sell off the crown jewels to cover your mistakes.

Brian Cowan, Preston

The railways should be owned by the public, charging low price rail fares, owned by us, for the people, by the people.

Andrew Cremin, Merthyr Tydfil

It’s the right thing for the country and the hard working commuters of Britain deserve a better railway system.

Eliot Johnson, Devizes

Nationalise Britain’s railway now!

Olaf Sheeran, London

Hikes in prices and the service in North Ayrshire is disgusting.

Wilma Hume

Please keep the rail network in public, not private, hands.

Robin Allen, Wellingborough

The current railway system does not offer effective competition or serve its customers well, while funds are creamed off for private profit.

Alan Boyland, Southam

It’s about time we shut down this bunch of crooks.

Bill Walker, Lye

The management of rail services has been a shambles since privatisation. This essential service needs socially responsible national management.

Patricia McCarthy, Milton Keynes

Please keep East Coast mainline as a nationalised service and look at this model for the other lines.

Judith Bryant, Darlington

An efficient and affordable train service is vital for the economic well-being of the country.

Nicholas Burman-Vince, London

British Rail publicly owned would be operating in the interests of the stakeholders.

Hilary Parnell, Rickmansworth

Totally useless.

Sharon Reid, North Berwick

Bring it back in house.

William Shearer, Folkestone

The rail network should be a public service, not an outlet for capitalist profiteering.

Alex De Lacey, London

British rail is the way forward so as to eliminate the robbery of tax payers’ funds going to parasite companies.

Kevin Leonard, Ashington

Railways for the people not private profit.

Joseph Murray, Brighton

It’s despicable that the train operating companies collect fat profits from driving the prices up on an essential public service.

Josh Kerry, London

About time too.

Roy Eyley, Farnsfield