British Rail

Book excerpt: British Rail was a success. It successfully carried millions of commuters to and from their jobs every day; organised its trunk route services to yield a profit under the brand name ‘Inter-City’; pioneered world-beating research and technological development through its own research centre and engineering subsidiary. It transformed the railway system of Britain from a post-Second World War state of collapse into a modern, technologically advanced railway. It did all this despite being starved of cash and being subjected to the whims of ever fickle politicians. British Rail, A Passenger’s Journey is the story of how all that was achieved, seen from a passenger’s perspective.