British Rail 4385 224754034 2008-07-10T07:49:42Z 86.27.103.78 rvv {{Citations missing|date=May 2007}} {{seealso|National Rail|Network Rail}} :''This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways", which later traded as "British Rail". The [[History of rail transport in Great Britain]] is covered in its own article.'' {{Infobox Defunct Company | company_name = British Railways/British Rail | company_logo = [[Image:BR-logo.svg|200px|British Rail]] | fate = [[privatisation|Privatised]] | successor = Principally [[Railtrack]] (infrastructure); members of [[Association of Train Operating Companies|ATOC]] (passenger); [[EWS]] and [[Freightliner]] (freight) | foundation = 1962 (previously a section of the [[British Transport Commission|BTC]]) | defunct = 2000 | location = Great Britain and adjacent waters | industry = Land and sea transport | key_people = | products = | num_employees = | parent = British Transport Commission (until 1962), British Railways Board (since 1962) | subsid = }} '''British Railways''' (BR), which later traded as '''British Rail''', ran most of the [[Rail transport in Great Britain|British railway system]] from the [[nationalisation]] of the 'Big Four' British [[railway]] companies in 1948 until [[Privatisation of British Rail|privatisation]] in stages from 1994 to 1997. This period of nationalisation saw massive changes in the railway network: steam traction was eliminated in favour of diesel and electric power, passengers replaced freight as the main source of business, and one third of the network was axed. == History == {{main|History of rail transport in Great Britain 1948 - 1994}} [[Image:BritishRailways1948Logo.jpg|thumb|left|The original British Railways logo, used until 1965]] The [[rail transport in Great Britain|rail transport system in Great Britain]] developed during the 19th century. After the grouping of 1923 under the [[Railways Act 1921]] there were four large railway companies, each dominating its own geographic area: the [[Great Western Railway]] (GWR), the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS), the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (LNER) and the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] (SR). The [[Transport Act 1947]] made provision for the [[nationalization|nationalisation]] of the network, as part of a policy of nationalising public services by [[Clement Attlee]]'s [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] Government. British Railways came into existence as the [[business name]] of the [[Railway Executive]] of the [[British Transport Commission]] (BTC) on [[1 January]] [[1948]] when it took over the assets of the Big Four. <ref> {{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=67| title=Transport Act 1947| author=Her Majesty's Government | year=1947| work=The Railways Archive| publisher=(originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office)| accessdate=2006-11-25}}</ref> Though there were few initial changes to the service, usage increased and the network became profitable. Regeneration of track and stations was completed by 1954. [[Image:Beeching2.svg|thumb| The National network would have looked like this by the 1980s if the Beeching Axe II plans had been implemented (all lines except those in bold would close)]] In the same year, changes to the British Transport Commission, including the privatisation of road haulage,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=116| title=Transport Act 1962| author=Her Majesty's Government | year=1962| work=The Railways Archive| publisher=(originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office)| accessdate=2006-11-25}}</ref> ended the coordination of transport in the UK. Rail revenue fell and in 1955 the network again ceased to be profitable. The mid-1950s saw the rapid introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock, but the expected transfer back from road to rail did not occur and losses began to mount.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndad.nationalarchives.gov.uk/AH/37/detail.html |title=British Railways Board history| accessdate=2006-11-25| publisher=The National Archives}}</ref> The desire for profitability led to a major reduction in the network during the mid-1960s. Dr. [[Richard Beeching]] was given the task by the government of re-organising the railways ("the [[Beeching Axe]]").<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=13| title=The Reshaping of British Railways - Part 1: Report| author=British Transport Commission| year=1963| work=The Railways Archive| publisher=(originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office)| accessdate=2006-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=35| title=The Reshaping of British Railways - Part 2: Maps| author=British Transport Commission| year=1963| work=The Railways Archive| publisher=(originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office)| accessdate=2006-11-25 }}</ref> This policy resulted in many branch lines and secondary routes being closed because they were deemed uneconomic. The closure of stations serving rural communities removed much feeder traffic from main line passenger services. The closure of many freight depots that had been used by larger industries such as [[coal]] and [[iron]] led to much freight transferring to road haulage. The closures were extremely unpopular with the general public at that time, and remain so today. Ironically some of those lines have recently been re-opened with the startling growth of rail traffic following privatisation of the network. Passenger levels decreased steadily from the late fifties to late seventies.<ref>The UK [http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/divisionhomepage/031571.hcsp Department for Transport] (DfT), specifically Table 6.1 from [http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/downloadable/dft_transstats_613483.pdf Transport Statistics Great Britain 2006] (4MB PDF file)</ref> Passenger services then experienced a renaissance with the introduction of the high-speed [[Intercity 125]] trains in the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref name="BRMP">{{cite book |last=Marsden |first=Colin J. |title=British Rail 1983 Motive Power: Combined Volume |year=1983 |publisher=Ian Allen |location=London |id=ISBN 0-7110-1284-9}}</ref> The 1980s saw severe cuts in government funding and above-[[inflation]] increases in fares, and the service became more cost-effective. Between 1994 and 1997, [[Privatisation of British Rail|British Rail was privatised]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=12| title=Railways Act 1993| author=Her Majesty's Government | year=1903| work=The Railways Archive| publisher=(originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office)| accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> Ownership of the track and infrastructure passed to [[Railtrack]]; passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators (originally there were 25 franchises); and the freight services sold outright (six companies were set up, but five of these were sold to the same buyer).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ews-railway.co.uk/about/history.html |title=EWS Railway - Company History |accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref> The Conservative government under [[John Major]] claimed that privatisation would see an improvement in passenger services. Passenger levels have since increased to above the level they had been at in the late 1950s.<ref>The UK [http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.129 Office of Rail Regulation] (ORR), specifically Section 1.2 from [http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/303.pdf National Rail Trends 2006-2007 Q1] (PDF file)</ref> == Network == [[Image:Swindon Rail Station symbol.jpg|thumb|The British Rail logo above [[Swindon railway station|Swindon station]]]] The BR network, with the trunk routes of the [[West Coast Main Line]], [[East Coast Main Line]], [[Great Western Main Line]] and [[Midland Main Line]], remains mostly unchanged since privatisation, with several branch line re-openings particularly in [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], where the control of the railway network is devolved from central government. == Successor companies == Under the process of British Rail's privatisation operations were split into over 100 companies. The ownership and operation of the infrastructure of the railway system was taken over by [[Railtrack]]. The rolling stock was transfered to three private [[ROSCO]]'s (ROlling Stock COmpanies). Passenger services were divided into 25 operating companies which were/are let on a franchise-basis for a set number of years, whilst freight services were sold off completely. Dozens of smaller engineering and maintenance companies were also created and sold off. Since privatisation the structure of the rail industry and number of companies has changed many times, see [[History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date]]. == See also == {{portal|UK Railways}} *[[History of rail transport in Great Britain]] *[[British Rail brand names]] *[[British Rail corporate liveries]] *[[British Rail flying saucer]] *[[National Rail]] *[[British Carriage and Wagon Numbering and Classification]] *[[British Locomotive and Multiple Unit Numbering and Classification]] *[[British Transport Police]] *[[Gerry Fiennes]] *[[List of British Rail classes]] *[[List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom]] *[[London Underground]] *[[Glasgow Subway]] *[[Liverpool Overhead Railway]] *[[Steam locomotives of British Railways]] *[[Sealink]] BR's sea division == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://ndad.ulcc.ac.uk/datasets/AH/britrail.htm British Railways Board history] * [http://www.brb.gov.uk BRB (Residuary) Ltd.] [[Category:British Rail]] [[Category:Railway companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Former nationalised industries of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Companies established in 1948]] [[cs:British Rail]] [[de:British Rail]] [[eo:British Rail]] [[fr:British Rail]] [[it:British Railway]] [[hu:British Railways]] [[nl:British Rail]] [[ja:イギリス国鉄]] [[no:British Rail]] [[sv:British Rail]]