The Conservative party created this situation and are now not doing anything to protect the consumer from profiteering rail barons. Everyone needs to know this.

Andrei Woodgate, Dunstable

Of all the European countries that came to investigate Britain’s great railway privatisation experiment, not one country copied the British experiment.

Andrew Rosthorn, Darwen

Why should we continue to put up with over inflation prices with profits going to the rich rather than being invested in providing a better train service.

David Glover, Chipping Norton

Politicians like the idea of privatisation because it can generate a lot of money and money is the usually one of the few things that politicians truly understand.

Maxwell Hough, Wigan

Railways should be owned by the people who use them.

Gareth Hoskins, Bristol

I worked for the railways between 1991 and 1998. As soon as BR was disbanded in 1994 I saw things get worse for passengers and employees alike.

Janine Walker, Farnborough

Why break what was working?

Dean Shaw

It’s time for public services to be owned by the public and to put the public first.

Robert Hargreaves, Huntingdon

The only thing to increase since privatisation of our railways is the obscene profits for the company directors whilst passengers’ fares soar to astronomic heights.

Pamela Mitchell, Edinburgh

Yes Ed, be bold and re-nationalise the railways. Also ban fracking while you’re about it.

Lynn Bates, Carlisle

The privatisation left us in a worse state with little investment and a network not fit for purpose.

John Harrison, Leeds

It’s for people not for private profit.

Mark Bobbitt, Wymondham

Bus companies have no idea how to run railways. I’m a rail worker with 40 years service. What a mess.

Alan Holtom, Worcester

It’s disgusting that the public have to pay to make a few people become millionaires for doing nothing.

James O’Neill, Edinburgh

Stop the rip-offs and the poor service.

Connor Scarlett, London

Train fares are extortionate. It is ridiculous that it was cheaper for me and one friend to hire a car to go to Newcastle than to go on the train.

Jenni Dixon, Birmingham

We need a not-for-profit, user-centred service with efficiency and effectiveness at its heart.

John Cornell Cornell, Sheffield

This is a no-brainer.

Edward Gray, Fulham

Only a publicly owned railway can ensure that rail travel is a fairer, cheaper transport system owned by the people for the people.

John Myers, Redcar

British Rail didn’t fail, it was the Conservative government that failed it by reducing subsidy year-on-year then splitting it up into 100 bite size chunks to sell off.

Darren

Privatisation has led to the awful destruction of our national resource of rail side forests and vital wildlife corridors, by the environment vandal Network Rail. Save our trees.

Frankie Hewett, Canterbury

A recent trip to Munich left me in awe of a brilliant public transport system which is in stark contrast of the poor British standard. You can fly for less over here.

Kevin Wheatley, Stockton-on-Tees

The divergence in prices and many promotions make booking for rail impossible.

Chris Osborne, Norwich

Your site says it all really. BR was much, much better than this shambles, where they make huge profits from a woeful service.

Brian Simmons, London

Just as we have seen in the privatised bus industry, services are run solely for the benefit of the shareholders, with little regard for passengers or employees.

Graeme Payne, South Shields

Bring back British Rail. Privatisation has been a disaster.

Ethan Lane, Kilmington

Just give it back, please.

Maggie Gallimore, Nottingham

It’s time to re-nationalise.

Michael Orme, Solihull Birmingham