I FEAR that Chris Foote Wood (HAS, May 19) is a little confused about our railways. He says: “All the major networks should return to public ownership” – they already have!

Network Rail is wholly owned by the country and administered by the Department for Transport as is our major road network.

The only real difference is that rail costs are visible and charged to the users while road costs are lost within general taxation.

Most of the trains are privately operated just as the buses are run.

Does he want Stagecoach, National Express or the hoard of minor bus companies to be nationalised along with all of the goods hauliers? This was tried years ago and what a disaster that was.

With motivated managers and access to private capital and competition, I see the rail companies as being more likely to be good for the country than the bureaucracy inherent in a public corporation.

Anthony J Foster, Peterlee