Interview with Martin Shrubsole conducted by Frank Paterson on the 9th July 2021. Education; British Rail management trainee; Supervisory posts Edinburgh, Glasgow Bridgeton, Patrickhill; catholic/protestant disputes; Bowling Oil terminal accident; Scottish Region Freight analysis; various roles in Management assistance; Passenger Charter development; move to Marketing Managerial positions; Iron and Steel; overhaul of iron ore operations; Coal Marketing Manager; overhaul of domestic coal; Coal merchant tenancies on British Rail land principal lever- wagon utilisation; Cost allocations; Coal strike; Secondment to Civil service Highways Division; establishment of the Highway Agency; Provincial Services project-transfer of British rail assets to local authorities; name change-Regional Railways; preparation of freight for privatisation; Civil service interest in USA freight railway services; British railway Board development of three shadow companies; Track access; rights of different sections; Code of Practice; Timetabling issues; developing track access arrangements; Office of Rail Regulation criteria; attitudes; development of standard performance regimes necessary; Changes from first franchise; reflections

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.