British Rail: A New History

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As he notes "Britain's railways over the years have been constantly targeted by Whitehall" perhaps most significantly by Marples and his advisory committee which led to the infamous Beeching report. Of course this is important, but it is given too much detail sometimes, where some of the niceties of the experience of being a rail traveller in the BR period could have had more coverage. The other side of economisation was the launch of new products, such as the InterCity brand, to draw in more passengers. Wolmar provides a deep, though still very enjoyable and easy to read, history of British Rail as a corporate entity, discussing not only the trains and people, but also considering the politics and strategies that shaped the network.

The core thread of the book is how the railway system has gone through so much over the last century. This is an excellent account of the history of British Rail and ultimately the making and breaking of a national institution. Furthermore, if those who decide the allocations of the real and unreal are cruel, mad or colossally wrong, what then? For instance, the engineering drawings for a sophisticated artificial leg, which are going to be manufactured at the Crewe locomotive works for issue to injured employees, are featured on the first spread, and on the following page, the architectural sketches for a church in Crewe, which was paid for by LNWR to serve the local community of railway workers, are featured. The rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail, from "the greatest expert on British trains" Christian WolmarYou think you know British Rail.The decision to set the chapters of this book in annual sub-sections of achievements in rail history inevitably leads to what at times seems totally disjointed reading. From the point of view of a railway enthusiast dating back to peak diesel, the book's biggest fault is an over-concentration on politics and details of management structures. The book is a trenchant defence of the concept of keeping large-scale transport service organisations in the hands of the state and also a defence of the many much-maligned dedicated BR staff who kept the organisation. 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. So many mistakes made and just when BR largely had it correct, an extremely messy privatisation process that was ill thought out was fostered upon it.

Much of the first part of the book is centered around the events surrounding the two major plans for British Railways: the Modernization Plan and the Reshaping of British Railways. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. Peter Parker, its chairman from 1976 to 1983, could be found doing voiceovers for BR advertisements, dressing up in drivers’ uniform for photoshoots and presenting himself for interview on national television.I expecting a very different book from what is undoubtedly a comprehensive history of the construction, engineering and major events in the Railway. I found it all quite fascinating, so I would rate it 4 star out of 5, and recommend it to anyone who are passionate about British Rail and Railway Fans and what to know even more about it. Having some awareness of UK history and politics alongside a hint of business acumen is a major benefit when reading through. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

If the service that you require is not shown, please get in touch with us and we can quote for your desired service. By the mid 1990s BR was an efficient and integrated nation wide organisation which cost a lot less to run than its European counterparts.The railways have been in almost permanent crisis since 1948, when the Big Four, the handful of companies that had dominated the interwar railways, were brought into public ownership by Clement Attlee’s Labour government. While he does not spell it out directly here, Wolmar shows that the problem with the railway in Britain has always been a lack of serious and positive state engagement from the start. One of the strengths of this book is its concentration on those responsible for the day to day management of the railway network and their relationship with the various parts of central government.

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. Your personal information will be properly safeguarded and processed in accordance with the requirements of privacy and data protection legislation. No one would argue that British Rail got everything right but as Christian Wolmar explains, by the time it got to the late 80's/early 90s, it was probably one of the most efficient and cost effective state run railways in Europe, and with more investment it could have become a first class railway.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. Seller has stated it will dispatch the item within 1 working day upon receipt of cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab . By signing up, you are accepting our terms and conditions and our privacy policy and cookie policy *exclusions apply. The descriptions can be wordy and technical at times, but if you’re a regular user of trains for commuting or general travel throughout the UK, the book is a must-read.