Train operators are considering congestion charge-style pricing for peak time journeys to combat a rise in passengers of 28% over the next ten years.

Other possible measures considered include lengthening some trains and changing timetables to allow more trains to run.

The RMT rail union says that trains should be renationalised.

How can Britain's train services be improved? Are the rail operating companies justified in suggesting a congestion charge for peak journeys?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

SUGGEST A DEBATE This topic was suggested by James, UK What is your reaction to congestion charging on the railways? Send us your suggestions for Have Your Say debates

Surely at a time when the government is proposing a change in the road tax they should be encouraging people to use public transport not make people choose depending on which is the lesser of the 2 evils!
Rupert Gnady, Skipton, UK

The uncontrolled subsidising of private rail companies is a farce. The government should seriously investigate proposals to re-nationalise the whole rail industry and to seek ways of extending it. This would be the only serious alternative to clogging our road system with cars and lorries for the foreseeable future.
David Bain, United Kingdom

I thought people are supposed to be encouraged to use the train and not the car, talk about a backward step. Public transport needs a massive cash injection by the government to increase rolling stock.
David Jones, West Yorkshire

Remove some of those lovely old Brunel bridges to the museum and get double-decker trains Steven Glenister, London, UK

Shocking! Congestion charging was supposed to be a way of getting people onto public transport. Are we saying UK transport is full up? Are we saying stop commuting? If so, we need to get a grip, remove some of those lovely old Brunel bridges to the museum and get double- decker trains in. We are going to need more capacity. This is the 21st Century.
Steven Glenister, London, UK

Politicians act like we choose to take the train at peak hour to inconvenience the train companies. We don't like peak hour either. We have to be at work at a particular time. Charging extra will make no difference for the congestion on the trains, it is merely revenue-raising.
Jessie, London

OK, so the government want to charge us more for using the roads to encourage us to use public transport, and now we're going to be charged more for using public transport too! Working from home has never looked so attractive!
Ian, Birmingham, UK

I can't afford to live near my work due to obscene house prices. There's no parking, so I can't afford to drive. I take public transport out of necessity and now people would price me out of that too! Why are the authorities so incompetent that they cannot get right what every other western European country can - a working, affordable rail service?
Rebecca, UK

Our train system is a joke. For ecological reasons we need more people on trains, not less. If market economics deems this to be impractical, then the government should nationalise the railways, and give the proper investment like the French do.
Geoff Payne, London, England

The working at home idea would suit me, if only I had the facilities at home. Maybe the train operators could develop their stations to include office space and IT facilities that they could rent out at the cost of a daily train ticket.
Steve, Margate, England

At this rate we'll all be reverting back to the horse and carriage mode of transport Kiltie, Staffs, UK

Pathetic! At this rate we'll all be reverting back to the horse and carriage mode of transport. I suppose it's more environmentally friendly though. Beware, however, of the dandy highwayman Gordon Brown who will demand "another stealth tax in your life" when he puts a levy on the price of hay.
Kiltie, Staffs, UK

Having had a very successful economy for the last 10/12 years, the UK now has the predictable transport/congestion issues. The answers are not solely about a coherent transport policy its more about encouraging development away from the already over congested "hot" spots in the UK. Has anybody consulted the regional job centres - there must be countless areas crying out for investment and development? Why continue to develop in the congested area and neglect other areas?
Clive, Woking

The railway companies have long imposed peak time fares. Are they now going to increase this already inflated fare. The government and environmentalists want more people to use public transport. This has been working and more people have chosen to travel by train. Now we are going to force them off the railways and back into cars. We are on the point of scrapping dozens of coaches made redundant by new trains. Most of these have years of life left in them. All too often we replace longer trains with new shorter types. If the railways are too congested then the only way forward in the shorter tern is to lengthen trains. Then we need to look at a scheme to remove congestion by increasing tracks at strategic locations and removing bottlenecks. This can only be achieved by a government firmly committed to public transport and supports it with hard cash.
Peter Enefer, Crowle, Nth Lincs