I wonder how many train passengers actually consider the sheer complexity of running a railway when their train rolls in a few minutes late in the morning?

It isn't simply a matter of a train driver driving a train along and keeping to a timetable. Delays can occur for any number of reasons, some of which are nothing to do with the train operator.

For instance, if an elderly passenger takes a few moments longer than average to board or alight from a train, what does the driver do? Shut the doors at the appropriate departure time regardless?

When a lorry strikes a bridge it is too tall to get under, what does the rail company do? Continue running trains over said bridge, keeping fingers crossed that it hasn't been damaged by a large heavy lorry crashing into it?

When a person decides to take their own life by jumping in front of a train, what does the rail company do? Continue running services past the scene subjecting passengers to the horror?

When an electricity sub-station explodes alongside the railway line, what does the railway company do? Continue running services past, hoping that the fire doesn't spread to its lines?

Any small delay has a knock-on to all trains behind it. Drivers then arrive late at their destination, which means they leave late taking a train to another destination.

Rail staff are subject to regulations regarding the length of their shift like lorry drivers and coach drivers. Late-running trains cause all sorts of chaos in terms of staff needing breaks and needing to end their shift at specific times.

The logistics of successfully running a railway to time are staggering, but the travelling public are quick to denounce.