Kevin Beauchamp Interviewed by Richard Spoors

Made:
2021-11-17 in London
maker:
Richard John Spoors

Interview with Kevin Beauchamp conducted by Richard Spoors on the 17th November 2021. Duration 01 hr. 18 min. 41 sec. Education; early career; Civil Engineer Training; Senior Technical officer; gained Chartered status with the institution of Civil Engineers; appointed Infrastructure manager Thames and Chiltern railway; Infrastructure manager Southeast in 1993; leadership 500; British Rail Infrastructure Services; personal feelings on his career; consultation with Trades Unions that lead to the creation of British Rail business units on Western region; privatisation of Chiltern lines track renewal service; Balfour Beatty awarded contract; British Rail Infrastructure Service (BRIS); creation of Railtrack; development of Infrastructure Maintenance Units (IMU) and Track Renewal Units (TRU); contracts with Railtrack; future managerial interests; future managerial Buy Outs (MBO); decision to become Infrastructure Manager of South West Infrastructure Maintenance Unit (SWIMU); RT1 contract management; development of skills; Railtrack zones that SWIMU managed; commercial contacts; RT1 flaws; unclear boundary between renewal and maintenance; financial loss/gain in train delays; golden assets concept; impact of Clapham disaster; engineering disciplines under the infrastructure manager; Improving productivity; Downsizing and voluntary redundancy; privatisation concerns relating to staffing; BR safety initiative; SWIMU purchased by Amec 1966; Amec Rail; Amec Rail concerns after derailment at Bexley Heath 1997; Response to Hatfield accident 2000; RT1a contract termination; purchase of French rail company Spie; Promotion to Managing Director of Amec Spie rail UK; Colas Rail acquires Amec Spie in 2007; Retired 2009; back to head of infrastructure for Interfleet; Engineering director for HS1; career highlights.

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:
2022-1002
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