Cost of train tickets: a total rip-off?

It is the same as anything else - demand and supply. From hotel rooms, flights, European motorway charges, wages, to supermarket items. A hotel room in January in the Algarve costs the same, or more, to maintain as in the summer. The cost will be higher in the summer due to demand - the hotel thus can charge more.
The alternative is cost controls, which universally prove do not work effectively.

My partner and i made a trip for the bank holiday - it was cheaper to drive. How is it possible that public transport is more expensive than driving! Madness

Without adequate methods of competition, prices will be set by the rail company that has the franchise. Citizens have to pay for the result. If there were a good method of allowing more competition, there would be better service and fares. That was the aim of the breakup of British Rail; as with other ideas - it did not succeed.

I remember my father mulling over public or private transport, and working out whether the saving was in taking the car if there were a couple of passengers, just the driver etc.
Nowadays, everytime I price out train travel, it's cheaper to drive even if you're travelling alone. Doesn't do much to further environmental concerns, and congestion problems. As for coach travel, I have found that it's not that much cheaper and what takes four hours in a car, takes nine or ten by coach. Plus the last few times I did decide the children might enjoy a train ride, the filthy seats/coaches/loos have thoroughly put me off.
My heart is very much with the idea of public transport, but empirical evidence means my head must lead my actions. I am very fortunate to have the choice.

Like your father, I sometime hire a vehicle, as the cost of doing so for two or three people is less than the cost of public transport for the trip. It reflects on the efficiency of the rail and bus companies that the costs are comparable.

I have just managed to book a train from Stoke on Trent to London Euston and returning on the same day. It took almost 2 hours to book and cost £71.

Initially, I had decided to book online. The website froze on the payment authorisation screen. It took an age to find a telephone number on their website to contact customer services to check whether payment had gone through. After over 10 minutes on hold I spoke to someone I couldn't understand, who told me that the payment hadn't gone through. I asked to book the tickets over the phone and was told I would have to call another number, which I did. Another 0845 number and another 10 minutes on hold and I was through to an advisor who I gave the travel date and times. I was then placed on hold while the advisor checked availability, and the line went dead. Another online booking attempt and telephone later I had my booking reference to collect the tickets from the station.

On quite a few occasions I have considered taking a train instead of driving for various journeys and realised that it is much cheaper to drive. It's crazy.