Bring them back into public ownership - Echo readers have their say on the future of our railways

We asked for your views on the future of the network as protests were held against the annual increase in fares, which new research suggested the cost has risen twice as fast as wages during the last decade.

Of the 1,191 votes cast at the time of writing, 82% – 973 – said they backed the idea the network should be brought back into public ownership, while others gave their reasons why they did not agree with the idea.

Among those to comment was Olwen Steadman, who said: “Nationalised Industries never made any money leaving the taxpayer to keep funding it, that's why they were privatised.

“I do not use trains so why should I pay for their upkeep.

“The train operators should do do this.”

Gary Cripps said: “It amazes me that people talk about how bad the service was and how inefficient it was when publically-owed, like it's so much better now.

“If you are lucky enough to get a train instead of a replacement bus service, you quite frequently have to stand.

“To rub salt into the wounds they keep jacking up the price of a ticket for an ever-worse service.

“We are told that privatisation makes for a better, streamlined service and it would seem that many people believe that despite all the evidence to the contrary.”

Adrian Smith said: “I assume most of the people advocating public ownership can't actually remember how, dirty, unreliable and expensive the trains were under British Rail.”