You cannot get competition on routes, for the simple reason that only one train can go from A to B at any given time.
If I arrive at the train station, I will get on the next fastest train to where I want to go, regardless of who runs it.
If there is one in 5 minutes time, I'm on it, because no-one else can compete with that. There will be no other train going to where I want to go in 5 minutes time. If there were two trains going there at that time, I might have a choice, but the system would be woefully inefficient and the infrastructure which exists wouldn't be able to cope with that.
So nationalisation makes total sense.
(, Thu 24 Sep 2015, 17:23, Reply)