Britain's privatised railways are the continuing subject of considerable debate over their organization, financing, and development. This book, written by Britain's leading railway historian, provides an account of the progress made by British Rail prior to privatisation, and insight into its difficult role in the government's privatisation planning from 1989.
Commissioned by the British Railways Board and based in free access to its archives, the book provides a detailed and analytical account of the main themes : a process of continuous organizational change; the existence of a persistent government audit; perennial investment restraints; the directive to reduce operating costs and improve productivity; a concern with financial performance, technological change, service quality, and the management of industrial relations; and the Board's ambiguous position as the Conservative government pressed home its privatisation programme. The introduction of sector management from 1982 and the 'Organising for Quality' initiative of the early 1990s, the Serpell Report on railway finances of 1983, the sale of the subsidiary businesses, the large-scale investment in the Channel Tunnel, and the obsession with safety which followed the Clapham accident of 1988, are all examined in depth. In the conclusion the author reviews the successes and failures of the public sector, rehearses the arguments for and against integration in the railway industry, and contrasts what many have termed 'the golden age' of the mid- to late 1980s, when the British Rail - government relationship was arguably at its most effective, with what has happened since 1994.
This book will be a resource for academics, planners, politicians, and managers wanting an authoritative account of the evolution of the rail industry at a critical juncture in its history.
Based on privileged access to the British Railway Board's rich archives, this book provides and authoritative account of the progress made by the British Railway System prior to its privatization. It offers a unique account of the last fifteen years of nationalized railways in Britain, and it sheds light on the current problems of privatized railway systems. This volume is divided into four complete and concise sections for complete study: 'Railways Under Labour (1974-1979)', 'The Thatcher Revolution (British Rail in the 1980's)', 'On The Threshold of Privatization: Running the Railways (1990-1994)', and 'Responding to Privatization (1981-1997)'. Author Terry Gourvish is considered Britain's leading railway historian.
