That is likely, but is because money for infrastructure is usually spent on London and any peppercorn left is distributed to the regions. Look at the quality and money spent on London stations and compare it to Leeds or Bradford etc. Londoners moan about 3 minute headways and seemingly have an inability to wait longer or for the next train. Travel between Sheffield and Huddersfield on the direct route over penistone, it's hourly -These are reasonably sized places.
How to say "I have never travelled by rail in the South East" without saying you've never travelled by rail in the South East.
The deep Tube has 3 minute headways. If it didn't, the queues would be down the road - it's the only way to get enough capacity operating.
Most London commuter lines by contrast operate on roughly half hour frequencies, with busier stations like Bletchley likely to have a "2 fast 2 slow" type pattern. Yes, this is better than you often get up North but there are exceptions, and the North is much better connected - you cite the Penistone line, possibly comparable to the Oxford-Cambridge service pre-Milton Keynes, which of course was closed. Yes, that's what I said - if the Penistone Line was in the South East it in all likelihood would not exist, or if it did then it'd have an hourly service like the Marston Vale which is perhaps a comparable-ish rural survivor.
The South East's rail network basically provides for getting to London and very poorly for anything else, and the buses are worse (often nonexistent) too.
Other than the TfL area, it is NOT a land of milk and honey, and examples like East Croydon and Clapham Jn are like pointing at Castlefield and saying the North has a train every 5 minutes - they are a core where many disparate services converge.
The one thing the SE does seem to recognise is that 2200ish is too early for a last train home from big cities, and that 2330 or later is necessary to enable things like theatre and gig trips.
