British Rail: A New History

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However, I can't deny that the politics, management and strategy (or lack of it) that are explored here are central to understanding what happened to British Rail, why it got better - and why it wasn't far better still. British Rail was the last big state run company to be privatised and as the author states Mrs Thatcher was reluctant to be responsible as she knew that most people had a strong attachment to it. Uniting disparate lines into a highly competent organisation - heralding 'The Age of the Train' - and, for a time, providing one of the fastest regular rail services in the world. Excellent book providing a comprehensive, fairly high-level but fascinating and compelling account of BR’s history. Saddening too that the dogma of privatisation destroyed what could have become an extremely beneficial and cheaper railway… or, if not cheaper, a much better, more widely accessible railway.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. As Wolmar notes that the railways recovered owes much to the deviousness and scheming of railway managers who were not beyond pulling a fast one while the Treasury was distracted, the story of the West Coast electrification programme (which essentially turned around British Rails fortunes) being a case in point. Christian Wolmar is generally regarded as the expert’s expert when it comes to the railways and his book is clearly written with great affection as well as knowledge and insight. This history lesson is complemented by two picture sections that show the evolution of logos, national marketing, and staff uniforms.We are able to send untracked parcels to bona fide PO Box addresses, friends and family members and to work addresses. Today, 25 years after the privatisation, the Conservative government has quietly conceded that privatisation was a failed and damaging move and the Johnson government proposed what is effectively re-nationalisation for parts of the network. From the disappointment of rail closures all the way to the peak of operating efficiency it’s a very comprehensive chronicle that explains all the major events, key players and societal shifts across the decades. The majority of pages are undamaged with some creasing or tearing, and pencil underlining of text, but this is minimal. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. The author weaves in a lot of political background whilst recounting the history in which gives a great insight into Britain during the decades covered. It is always tendentious and risky to speak of golden ages, but the last decade of British Rail was undoubtedly its finest period and an example of a successful state enterprise.I really enjoyed this as I didn’t have much knowledge of BR beyond a few anecdotes and a surface level understanding. Details of accidents and other incidents are included almost randomly it seems, but with little or no context or explanations of the consequent implications for operating practices.