British Rail 1974-1997: From Integration to PrivatisationBritain's privatised railways continure to provoke debate about the organisation, financing, and development of the railway system. This important book, written by Britain's leading railway historian, provides an authoritative account of the progress made by British Rail prior to privatisation, and a unique insight into its difficult role in the government's privatisation planning from 1989. Based on free access to the British Railway Board's rich archives, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the main themes: a process of continuous organisational 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-late 1980s, when the British Rail-government relationship was arguably at its most effective, with what has happened since 1994. |
Contents
Financial Results | 21 |
Appendices | 47 |
Operations Productivity and Technological Change 83586222 | 53 |
Sector Management and New Performance Targets | 99 |
The Serpell Report | 151 |
Cost Control and Investment in the postSerpell Railway | 182 |
Selling the Subsidiary Businesses | 231 |
Business Performance Pricing and Productivity | 259 |
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Common terms and phrases
appointed April ASLEF assets Board members Bob Reid BREL Brian Morrison British Rail British Railways British Railways Board cent Chairman Channel Tunnel Chief Executive Committee competitive consultants costs Department Derek Fowler DMUS electrification engineering expenditure fares Fowler franchising freight Freightliner further government's Group improvement increase infrastructure initial internal investment issue January July June locomotives London maintenance major Managing Director March ment million Minister Network SouthEast Norman Fowler notably November October operating options organisation Parcels Parker planning private sector privatisation produced profit proposals public sector Rail Express Systems Rail's Railfreight Railfreight Distribution Railtrack railway managers reduced regional response restructuring revenue rolling stock route RSNT safety scheme Scotrail Sealink Secretary sector directors sector management Serpell Serpell Report staff station strategy subsidiary Table targets Thameslink track traffic train Transport unions Welsby
References to this book
Die Privatisierung der Deutschen Bahn: Über die Implementierung ... Tim Engartner Limited preview - 2008 |
Die Privatisierung Der Deutschen Bahn: Über Die Implementierung ... Tim Engartner No preview available - 2008 |