British Railways 1948-73: A Business HistoryOriginally published in 1986, this is a business history of the first twenty-five years of nationalised railways in Britain. Commissioned by the British Railways Board and based on the Board's extensive archives, it fully analyses the dynamics of nationalised industry management and the complexities of the vital relationship with government. After exploring the origins of nationalisation, the book deals with the organisation, financial performance, investment and commercial policies of the British Transport Commission (1948-2), Railway Executive (1948-53) and British Railways Board (1963-73). Calculations of profit and loss, investment, and productivity are provided on a consistent basis for 1948-73. This business history thus represents a major contribution not only to the debate about the role of the railways in a modern economy but also to that concerning the nationalised industries, which have proved to be one of the most enduring problems of the British economy since the war. |
Contents
nationalisation | 1 |
The British Transport Commission and the Railway | 29 |
Executive 194853 29 | 53 |
Investment labour relations and productivity | 507 |
Conclusion | 566 |
A The true financial results of British Railways 194873 | 585 |
Estimates of productivity 194873 | 612 |
G The Euston mainline electrification scheme | 625 |
Deficits markets and closures 173 | 173 |
Wages unions and productivity 214 | 214 |
The Modernisation Plan and investment 256 | 256 |
organisation and reorganisation 307 | 307 |
Financial performance and rationalisation 389 | 389 |
Markets pricing and commercial strategy 469 | 469 |
J Passenger service rationalisation 196173 639 | 639 |
756 | |
The new railway organisation 137 | 137 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
allocation appointed April Area Board August average B.T.C. Minutes Beeching Beeching's Blee British Rail British Railways Board British Road Services British Transport Commission capital cent Chairman charges Chief closure coal commercial Commission's Committee Minutes companies costs December deficit diesel Economic electrification estimated Executive's expenditure fares February freight traffic freightliner government's gross Hurcomb improvement Incomes Policy increase industrial relations investment January July June Labour locomotives London Midland London Midland Region main-line March Margetts meeting memo million Minister Ministry of Transport Missenden Modernisation Plan nationalised industries negotiations November October Officer operating organisation Papers period problems productivity programme proposals Railway Executive Railway Gazette railway managers railwaymen rates Raymond reduced Reginald Wilson regional Reshaping response revenue Richard Beeching road haulage Robertson salary scheme September staff Stedeford steel Table tion train Transport Act unions wage wagon-load wagons Wilson