Christian Wolmar interviewed by David Maidment

Made:
2021-06-16 in London
maker:
David John Maidment

Interview with Christian Wolmar conducted by David Maidment on the 16th June 2021. Duration- 57 min, 04 sec. Covering rail privatisation as a journalist and author. Education and early career in retail and marketing; working as a transport correspondence for the independent; Column for Rail Magazine; launch of White paper; Conservative party dissent; British Rail and central Transport Consultative Committee sources; Interview with Bob Reid II; the ‘Deerstalker express’; Ticket office reduction controversy; Sale of Rolling Stock Companies; Press conferences with new Train operating Companies; First privatised train; His Library of press cuttings; Meetings with Bob Horton; working days; party feedback on his articles; views on British Rail structure pre privatisation; Book sales and going freelance.

One of over 150 oral history recordings made as part of the Britain’s Railways All Change (BRAC) archive project. BRAC was set-up to cover gaps in documenting the railway privatisation process in the United Kingdom, between 1994 and 1997, when the government-owned British Rail was dismantled into over 100 privately-owned companies. The interviews capture the recollections of people involved in the planning and implementation of the privatisation process, the management of change and running the railway during privatisation.

Details

Category:
Oral Histories
Collection:
Britain's Railways All Change
Object Number:
2022-51
type:
oral history interview
credit:
Britain Railway’s All Change Oral History Archive (BRAC), created in partnership with the Friends of the National Railway Museum, the Retired Railway Officers Society and the National Railway Museum