Bring the railways back into public hands. Stop private companies ripping us off and putting profits before the public.

Hamish Anderson, Hexham

Re-nationalise the rail network for the good of the country.

Malcolm Ramskill, Leeds

Great initiative. Let’s hope we get there.

Claudia Zeiske, Huntly

Seriously, bringing back British Rail is a no-brainer.

Michael Robbins, Crewe

We are pensioners and, even with a pass, it is too much. It is daylight robbery.

Lillian Brogan, Cheshire

This is no way to run a railway. Simplify, unify, make it cheaper, get cars off the road.

Joanna Dunn, Nottingham

My train is late 96% of the time in the last 2 years. East Midlands Trains well aware but ignores the issue while taking the full fare – the definition of profit before service.

Craig Alexander, Ashwell

Bring back British Rail.

Elizabeth McManus, Bournemouth

The current service provided by private companies such as First Great Western are absolutely awful and the prices are ridiculous. Bring back British Rail.

Lisa Bowles, Bristol

There was absolutely no logic to privatising and fragmenting the railways other than to line the pockets of a privileged few.

Barry Marshall, Hebburn

End rewarding shareholder profits for high price tickets and cost driven, unreliable services. Invest in the railways and get cars and trucks off the roads.

Sean Durney

It should be a public service not a profit-making organisation.

Tate Matthews, Chertsey

Bring it back now.

Umar Amin, Manchester

If the government needs 70+ academic reports and a year’s success in Oz to put cigarettes in plain boxes, where is the similar level of proof that rail privatisation works?

Julian Srodecki

Railways should be a public service. Period.

Geo. Meadows, Kidderminster

Now Thatcher has gone, it’s time we erased the odious Me! Me! Me! legacy she and her minions left behind and saw the return of services run for people, not profit.

David Hurst, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Please bring back a decent, nationalised rail service that is accountable to its customers and not to shareholders and profiteering executives.

Joe Rus, Trowbridge

Unify the whole system and bring back the “Fat Controller” and put a halt to short-term political gain and profiteering.

Michael Rawson, Stockton-on-Tees

This mugging of commuters must stop. Bring back British Rail. It was never yours to sell. It’s ours and we want it back.

Gerry Curran, Beverley

Fares are too expensive under private control. Improve the service by investing money into the network directly and not into scandalous salaries and bonuses.

Pedro Pereira, Milton Keynes

It used to be a public company. Now it’s just a national disgrace.

Tina Szafran, Thirsk

Privatisation is theft.

Mark Johnson, Cambridge

A re-nationalised railway will bring back sensible fares, accountability and a secure and happy workforce. Who can argue with that?

Hannah Dewhirst, Oxford

Get rid of privatisation and bring back the classic British Rail for the UK. How comes Scotland has ScotRail? In England we should also have English Rail.

Janus Polenceusz, Rotherham

We want them back and we need them back before these private companies make any more money from us.

Tracey Cooper, Stevenage

We need a railway fit for purpose and not only for profit.

Matthew Whelan, Leeds

Privatisation hasn’t worked. Let’s have it all joined-up again.

Carol Byng, Ludlow

A return to a publicly run railway is the only way to break the current mess created by the privatisation and fragmentation of British Rail.

Trystan Hawkins, Bolton

Where I live the rail network is primitive, i.e. diesel trains every half an hour between Leeds and York.

Mark Campey, Harrogate