it was run better when it was BR.

Padda Brewster, Wolverhampton

The railways should be owned by us and any profits reinvested into upgrading the system.

Linda Poulter, Leeds

An essential service should not be run for profit but as a service.

Lorna Robertson, Surrey

Bring life back into the railways. I was employed by BR from 1977 and retired from Network Rail in 2012, from signaller, station supervisor then MOM 1991 to 2012.

Leslie Buck, Seaham

Railways should be run as non-profit-making.

David Robinson, Dewsbury

The days of the Big Four are gone. We need a well run and managed national transport system as seen in other European countries.

Richard Chappell, Walsall

What a shame that it has come to this – Britain led the world with its railways. The Edwardian era was the pinnacle of its glory. Visit the National Railway Museum in York.

Brian Warren, Butler, Pa. USA

Stop rail companies avoiding tax here while shipping rail profits and taxpayer subsidies abroad. East Coast line is a great example of what public ownership can do.

Robert Powell, Stockton-on-Tees

If privatisation is so successful why do they rely on subsidies to keep their shareholders happy?

John Main, London

There would be less of a north/south divide if people could afford to visit other areas in the UK. It will benefit all communities across the nation.

Joseph Till, London

The privatised, disjointed and dysfunctional railway is costing us billions. Just think how good BR could have been if all that money had been invested in it.

Robert Maidment-Wilson, Droitwich

What a bizarre system we have in UK when our privatised system is providing profits for the publicly-owned nationalised systems of our European neighbours such as SNCF.

Anne Harrison, London

We used to have an easy to understand railway system with a sensible ticketing structure.

John Wilson, Cambridgeshire

Keep the East Coast mainline out of private hands.

Nigel Lightowler, York

Major’s railway rip-off was made in a hurry to provide his backers with juicy public assets before the Tories went into their Long Good Night. It’s time to take them back.

Michael Brackenbury, Ely

Just make it public.

Steve Allen, Sheffield

Increase after increase after increase and we are left with a sub-par service where only the rich owners benefit.

James Kirk, Birmingham

Get rid of the foreign investors, and use the money we give to despots in other countries to run it.

Gordon Seaman, Havant

Like may privatised national assets, the service went down and prices up to satisfy the fat cats and to hell with customers.

George Tuck, Gateshead

Essential services should not be run for the profit of the few. All profits should be used to keep fares as low as possible and to maintain the network.

Elizabeth Connell, Bristol

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

John Harrison, Leeds

Take away control from the people who have assumed too much control and give it back to the people who have earned it.

Valerie Campbell, Gosport

Stop subsidising train operating companies and invest in an integrated rail system, not this disjointed farce.

Sharron Tootell, Penwortham

The currently public owned East Coast line can make a profit and run more or less decently so why can’t the privately owned ones?

Roger Weston, Durham

Also bring back some of the many lost stations. Reduce individual cars on the road and more railways for everyone.

Elizabeth Clark, Peterborough

I’m disgusted at today’s news about Virgin and Stagecoach, getting the East Coast franchise.

Barry Ould, Aylesbury

Follow the example of the East Coast line, in public hands and profitable.

Terence Bly, London

Surely the success of the East Coast mainline since the demise of the franchise proves the point.

Denis Thomson, Otley

Let’s go back to British Rail and reclaim rail services for the British public now.

Lorna Cameron, Leeds