This sort of perception is what makes one think that train services in other countries are always better than in your own backyard. The truth is that, in Europe, the average level of railway service is more or less the same everywhere these days; the exception is recent high-speed technology, which is only available in a handful of countries ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Europe ).
I probably go to London at least ten times a month (either for a day or just for an evening), and have slightly more network rail trips a month (all my trips to london are an hour away by train), and in my experience I have much more trust for TFL.