Fare reforms, nationalisation, and new trains – readers have their say on fixing Britain’s railways

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The UK’s rail system has long been a topic of contention, with rising fares, ageing infrastructure, and privatisation at the heart of the debate.

Recent discussions have intensified as ticket prices continue to soar and calls for re-nationalisation grow louder, particularly with most of the network already returning to public ownership as private franchises expire.

When we asked for your views, supporters of re-nationalisation argued that privatisation has failed to deliver affordability, efficiency, or investment comparable to other European nations. They criticised complex ticket pricing, lack of integration between operators, and outdated rolling stock – especially in regions outside London.

Others believed structural reforms, such as automation, ticketing simplifications, and changes to union power, could improve the system without full re-nationalisation.

Here’s what you had to say:

Re-nationalisation is a fait accompli – it is happening as franchises expire, and most of the system is now publicly owned. The last private sector train will run in October 2027.

So your poll is unnecessary.

My own view is that, having tried all forms of ownership, we have established there are no magic bullets that will produce the investment required or fares that are remotely affordable in line with the rest of Europe. The network simply requires very large public subsidies and always will – just as taxpayers maintain, say, roads.

As an aside, I do think the entrenched power and resistance to reforms of the rail unions is a significant problem.

SteveHill

Where do we start? Cheaper fares, a simplification of the ticketing system, more carriages, better-designed new rolling stock, and more – not fewer – staff on stations and trains.

Also, in these days of environmental awareness, when are we going to make a serious effort to get freight off roads and onto rail? We should reverse some of the Beeching closures so that expanding towns are reconnected to the rail network. People should be able to travel on a train through the traffic-congested Peak and Lake Districts, etc. Finally, we must stop the unfair infrastructure funding bias towards London and the South East at the expense of the rest of the country.

Noverngit1

We have to invest public money to reduce cars and get people back on public transport—buses, trams, and trains.

Why is it we can throw billions of pounds at weapons but not at public services? As always, it’s a political choice.

Charlie1102

Vehicle taxes have not been increased for 14 years, yet every year rail fares increase by at least the RPI. There needs to be a more balanced approach between road and rail.

MoelFamau1

My brother works for an engineering company that maintains locomotives in the north of England. When London and the South East get new trains, the old ones go north and are often run far beyond the end of their design life.

This is just one aspect of the institutionalised inequality of wealth and opportunity in England – there are many others. Any capable teenager born in the North’s pockets of deprivation will likely leave as soon as possible, leading to a concentration of underdevelopment in these areas and a huge waste of potential human resources. Additionally, it fosters a sense of disenfranchisement among these populations, increasing sympathy for right-wing and far-right sentiments. The riots in Southport and other northern areas were perhaps less surprising to those of us who live close to these communities.

Prioritise investment in the North.

RickC

Privatisation has failed, and the overcomplication of the ticketing system between companies only makes things worse—especially where pricing hikes for no clear reason. Get a Greater Anglia train from Liverpool Street to Manningtree, and a return will be around £40. Go one stop further to Ipswich? Over £100. Sudden jump – no sensible reason for it.

Trying to buy tickets that cross different providers is a nightmare. They can’t integrate their systems, so you have to carry multiple paper tickets because none of them will share a digital platform – in 2025! Ridiculous.

How many different types of travelcards are there now? If they can offer 30–50% discounts on all travel for a one-off payment of £30, then surely standard fares don’t need to be that high?

The whole system has been made needlessly complex and vastly more expensive than our international counterparts while infrastructure has been left to deteriorate. We couldn’t even effectively use the double-decker trains seen on the continent. Instead, we add an extra carriage here and there and charge extra for people to stand most of the way to Birmingham because they can’t get a seat.

People frequently talk about the constant need for NHS reform – but the rail system has been in desperate need of reform for a long time. Yet all we get is a committee sitting down and pushing papers with no real change.

Mike

How to fix the railways:

SpendThrifty

In London, I have three rail stations within walking distance, with frequent weekend engineering works that occasionally affect all three. Do we have a reliable service despite all this work? No. Frequent signal failures during the week add to the misery.

Further afield, I would like to see fare standardisation. It’s a guessing game, and booking in advance doesn’t always guarantee the cheapest price. The whole network should be nationalised.

Morgan

Why not replicate something that works?

Thanks to the vision of Ken Livingstone, the London Overground is a spectacular success on routes that were a disaster under both British Rail and the private Silverlink. Every major British city deserves an Overground – professionally planned and fully integrated with bus and tram networks.

david119

Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.

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