You'd be even more incredulous if you had to ride on a London bound commuter train every morning. If you're lucky you'll get to stand in a space large enough that you don't have to stick your head in someone's armpit. If you're incredibly lucky, or get on at one of the first stops on the line, you might even get a seat.

Because the rail tracks were laid down a loooong time ago, and are surrounded on all sides by expensive property. This means limited capacity, ageing infrastructure, and unceasingly increasing demand.

I'm in the ~£4k* a year bracket. The train takes about ~40 minutes to get to London, which is pretty good. You won't get a seat though, so that's 40 minute standing packed in like cattle on a train service that's often late.

Of course, network rail, the line operator, kicks back money for lateness but the strange rules of your franchise like paying out only on overall lateness and not considering a train that's too full for you to get on as late means they keep 90% of that back for themselves.

For most folks that's only part one of your commute, because few of us actually work where we get into the city. Typically this means getting on the underground for another 30 minutes, this time cattle is being a bit polite.

* Actually, the £4000 is what I would pay if I paid for a yearly ticket. Since I don't always work in London, I get month tickets. These cost £400 a month.

Because, even at that price, the trains are still standing-room only on peak.

From a quick calculation my £4000 season ticket works out about £0.25/mile.

Because UK uses a stupid system of surge pricing for their trains. Rather than a flat rate for a journey, you will pay more the closer it is to the departure and the busier the route is. So even if you buy a ticket 6 months in advance, a Monday morning ticket to London is going to cost you 100 pounds+, depending where you are travelling from.

Because the market will bear it. People have jobs in London, but can't afford to live there. Driving usually isn't an option either because parking prices and London traffic are prohibitive. Ergo the train companies can charge basically whatever they like and people have to put up with it.