Don’t believe that for one minute. I’ve been on the railways for almost 38 years & been interested in it much longer than that. In that time passengers have been treated with contempt through strikes & everything else you could possibly shake a stick at. To my amazement they always come back & bring their uncle, sister & great great nephew with them too. Always works itself out as they have very very short memories. Sounds complacent but it’s true.
that may have been true a few years ago, people were use to traveling by train, but this generation couldn't care less about the railways, they all have cars or most of them do, its more convenient. My daughter is the same, its all car, on a recent holiday she went on a train whilst there and "this is great" she also caught a bus and "this is great", but when i asked her if she would use either again when we returned home, "no the cars sitting there why bother".
The longer the strikes go on, the more people will lose interest in the railways, say you were taking the family for a day out, and all that involved, before covid great, everything running to time etc, now before the strikes like everything else you were not sure how late or even if the train would run.
You might get your rise, and conditions you want, but at what cost in the future? fares rises, less pax's, over staffing, then what?
Freight, look how the shops are closing because of online shopping, road transport has increased to cope with the demand local and long distant...
As you say i to have been interested in the railways, started 68yrs ago, worked on the railways for 28yrs, but nowadays i worry for its future...