All aboard the gravy train for failing firms . . .

THE East Coast main line is to be brought back into public ownership (Mail). Why is Virgin being allowed to pull out of its commitment just because it over-estimated the revenue when it bid for the franchise?

Virgin is happy to milk the West Coast main line, which brought it profits of £66.8 million in 2016/17. It should take the rough with the smooth and offset the East Coast losses with the money it is making on the West Coast line.

Why do we give get- out- of-jailfree cards to major companies which can cherry pick the best, throw back the rest and expect everyone else to pay their bills and clear up after them? risk-free entrepreneurship — isn’t life grand when you’re richard Branson!

DAVE JOHNS, Brighton. TRANSPORT Secretary Chris grayling has a plan. It’s not privatisation because that has failed and it’s not nationalisation because the Tories don’t like state-owned businesses.

It’s a mix of franchises with get-out clauses if you don’t make a profit or re-nationalisation that leaves wriggle room for the business to take the profit and pass the liabilities to the public.

It is a plan that will have little in it for the public and even less for commuters. Virgin will be back on the gravy train without committing itself to paying any losses.

S. t. VAUGHAN, Birmingham.