I haven't had a problem when travelling in the UK by train, although to be fair, I am always travelling on BritRail Passes, valid on any train, any operator, any time of the day, etc., so I don't have to contend with the conditions imposed by the myriad of TOC's on different fare types, etc.

Whilst train travel will always be subject to the vagaries of the weather (we see it in SYD all the time) I have generally found the UK rail system to be OK, if somewhat exorbitantly priced (again though, easy enough to get around if visiting) - an example is London Euston - Liverpool (where my aunt lives, and where I usually base myself) - GBP125 for a first class single, for a four hour trip?

To respond to the post, the WCML is in the process of being upgraded at the moment, to allow Vermin Trains and their new Pendolini (I presume this is the plural) to operate at the appropriate speeds. Some disruption is bound to occur during this sort of massive route modernisation.

Overall though, it is not a bad service, and particularly since MML have started Manchester - St. Pancras services, the options just get better.

Dave