What do you think most (non-enthusiast) travellers want? Pretty colours, or a co-ordinated network that runs on time, where you can understand the fares structure and where conections are protected if things are going wrong?
"Pretty colours" was obviously intended to be disparaging, but the trains should have a quality appearance and liveries should not look as if they're a thrown-on afterthought. Indeed, it's desirable that everything should look good and be well looked after - trains, buses, buildings, streets, parks.
I don't consider the current network uncoordinated, though I'm sure everyone can point to some areas where things could be better. You could do that under BR as well.
"Runs on time." Of course everyone would like that. Did BR always do it? Would they be able to do it with all the additional passengers and train movements of today?
Maybe the most difficult thing about the fares structure is the idea of split ticketing. But apart from that, things such as advance fares and internet-only offers shouldn't be a problem these days, and when you consider the extent to which a high proportion of the population uses various kinds of technology to do a very wide range of things it's difficult to see why buying a train ticket should be regarded as so outrageously complicated. If BR was still here they'd be using the same technology, and employing yield management to try to fill seats on more lightly-used services.
Protected connections. Yes, I'd definitely like that when my train is delayed for some reason. But the people in the train that's held for my benefit may think differently, and the ones in the train beyond that may have an even more different view.
