This topic interests me...but aren't we missing the point here?
If we look at it as objectively as we can;
1. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are notorious for scare-mongering, and in some cases out and out lying (the cases I know of are too many to list here).
2. Quango's don't go beyond their brief, which is detailed by the government of the day (and often not listened to, anyway, cos' they can be a way of giving some worthy a sinecure).
3. the public will do what the public want to do anyway.
Yes, we have a creaky, struggling rail service in the UK, yes it is subsidised, because of years of chronic underfunding and inefficient management, but it is going to needed in the next few years. after all how are people going to get to the airports?
What we really need is a nicely integrated transport policy that uses a mix of trains and planes...after all a decent rail network would be serious competition for internal flights, would mean that cars weren't necessary to get to airports and planes could do the stuff their best at.