A very relevant article in today's guardian, details how rail companies are milking the taxpayer. -
The truth about Richard Branson's Virgin Rail profits | Aditya Chakrabortty | Comment is free | The Guardian
..which links to a study done by Manchester University -
Trades Union Congress - Rail privatisation has failed to deliver on its promises, says report
"The Great Train Robbery - written for the TUC by the Centre for Research on Social-Cultural Change (CRESC) at the University of Manchester - shows that private train companies are heavily dependent upon the public purse to enable them to run services."