It's a problem to accept that the motive for rail companies to up their game is to compete with road and air.

Short-haul flights should be expensive, and for the purpose of super-fast travel, it shouldn't be a cheaper alternative to rail because rail is much cheaper to run, and much more eco-friendly. Roads are already full in this country, and again car travel is less green than rail.

...which lowers the price of rail and increases the price of the substitutes
But this isn't happening. Rail is more expensive than road, and this is in a nation where fuel tax is astronomical compared to yours. Those who prefer to get the train to work, especially those who work in the cities, do not want to have to go by road, because it is much less convenient... they need to park, and share the road with other road users. They also can't sit and read the paper with a coffee while travelling. Road and rail offer different benefits and downfalls, they are not in direct competition with each other, and nor should they be. They should be there to compliment one another, for the purpose of keeping people and goods moving, which is essential for the economy.