Dear BOB2 and Ed - Thank you for intelligent input on this topic. Having used first British Rail and then the ever-shifting private franchise operations (since 1981) and having lived through the various disasters (Hatfield, Southall,etc) when living and working in England, and having watched the dog's breakfast that the imitation Prime Minister named John Major and his "government" wrought, I can certify that the only beneficiaries of this rolling fiasco were the counting houses in the City.
Since the days of George Hudson,"the Railway King" in the 19th century through the 1923 Grouping, to Richard Beeching and the odious Marple in the '60s, the poor passenger and other rail users have been left holding the bag and their noses. This last year has been particularly appalling because of the fragmentation. Google can fill in the details for anyone further interested, it would take more space than Ed's cited post, which is the best concise summary that I have yet seen.
Cheers very much- brains