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Oral history interview with Philip Dunkley, conducted and recorded by Christopher Mew at the interviewee's home in Northamptonshire on 10 May 2019. Duration: 11 min. 15 sec. Formation of Safety Case Panels; personal career; safety case process; comparison to safety under British Rail; train operating companies (TOCs) approaches varied

Philip Dunkley interviewed by Christopher Mew

Oral Histories

2019-05-10

Oral history interview with Barry Grant, conducted and recorded by Christopher Mew at another interviewee's home in Herefordshire on 11 December 2019, includes contribution from Monty Hiatt. Duration: 20 min. 6 sec. Earliest Operational Research involvement with privatisation; Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services (ORCATS); factors; Model of Inter-Regional Activity (MOIRA) model; modal split; performance regime creation; revenue allocation and performance regime pivotal

Barry Grant interviewed by Christopher Mew

Oral Histories

2019-12-11

Oral history interview with Ivor Warburton, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in Croydon on 29 August 2018. Duration: 3 hr. 4 min. 5 sec. British Rail: London Midland Management Trainee; Assistant Area Manager Oldbury; Crewe Orphanage; Area Manager Luton; University of Warwick business school; Arnold Kentridge; management development; Overseas Tourist Manager; David Rayner; Regional Passenger Manager York; business sector management; Policy Unit; sectorisation; Passenger Marketing Services Director; APTIS (Accountancy and Passenger Ticket Issuing System) and Portable Operated Ticket Issuing System (PORTIS) implementation 1984; Assistant General Manager Birmingham; budget overspend; Cyril Bleasdale; employee relations 1987; Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF); National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT); British Railways Board (BRB) difficulties; Director Operations; General Manager London Midland 1990; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Nick Mitchell; Leadership 500; meeting with John MacGregor; Railtrack flotation; separation of track from trains; InterCity 250; management buyout (MBO); Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); Virgin takeover; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) role; relationships

Ivor Warburton interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2018-08-29

Oral history interview with James Ward, conducted and recorded by Christopher Mew at another interviewee's home in Northamptonshire on 10 May 2019, includes a contribution from Philip Dunkley. Duration: 16 min. 7 sec. Constitution of safety case panels; career background; railway laboratories; Scientific Services; sale of Meldon Quarry; precursor for formal safety cases; safety case requirements; Adrian Shooter (Managing Director Chiltern); larger train operating companies (TOCs) more responsibilities and expertise

James Ward interviewed by Christopher Mew

Oral Histories

2019-05-10

Oral history interview with John Smith, conducted and recorded by Michael Robson (session 2) at the interviewee's office at GB Railfreight, London on 13 November 2019 (session 2). Duration: 41 min. 18 sec. Heavy haul freight; Class 66 locomotives; political understanding of rail freight; Class 73 refurbishment; Class 92; Caledonian Sleeper; Class 56; Brexit; productivity; overview of current situation; additional infrastructure needed to accommodate growth; safety improvements

John Smith interviewed by Michael Robson (session 2 of 2)

Oral Histories

2019-11-13

Oral history interview with Alan Dyke, conducted and recorded by Peter Willey at the interviewee's home in West Sussex on 6 February 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 1 min. 27 sec. Early career; civil engineering work undertaken in-house; changes in organisation post-privatisation; separation of track and trains; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) Project team; political context; King’s Cross international; Thameslink station; St. Pancras; development of Arup route; options for Stratford Station; international field of bidders; competition with Railtrack for infrastructure resources; funding difficulties; Hatfield accident impact; interface issues with Network Rail; North of London International Services; West Coast Main Line (WCML) train paths unavailable; incorporation of Thameslink station into St. Pancras; changes resulting from privatisation; advice to High Speed 2 (HS2); involvement of different Secretaries of State for Transport

Alan Dyke interviewed by Peter Willey

Oral Histories

2020-02-06

Oral history interview with Dr. Malcolm Reed, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 37 min. 59 sec. Academic career; Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE); relationships; Chris Green; John Ellis; financial disputes; value for money review; Organising for Quality (OfQ); interactive processes on costs; rolling stock replacement programme; service improvements; privatisation political concerns; process of Railways Bill; lobbying; personal involvement in European developments; separation of track and trains issues; Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA); limited involvement of Scottish Office; John Swift and Roger Salmon visits; performance regimes; Chris Stokes; relationships with new industry bodies and companies; Roger Salmon; ScotRail issues; National Express success; relationships; timescale for privatisation; PTEs role in privatisation; investment due to privatisation; comparisons with current franchise process; Network Rail; Chief Executive Officer Transport Scotland 2002; recovery of £260 million investment in stock and infrastructure

Dr. Malcolm Reed interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-06-13

Oral history interview with Philip Wiltshire, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 10 October 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 25 min. 57 sec. Early career; Assistant Divisional Engineer Doncaster 1967; Retford South and Lincolnshire level crossing; Assistant Divisional Engineer Stratford 1968; culture; Liverpool Street derailments; Divisional Engineer Norwich 1971; half barriers for wheel-gated level crossings on trunk roads near Cambridge; Newcastle Divisional Engineer 1982; staffing problems; Group Standards organisation 1992; promoting good operating and technical practice; Health & Safety Executive (HSE); Safety & Standards moved to Railtrack; new standards emerged by consensus; discussions with Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI); informal liaison with European railways; Union internationale des chemins de fer (UIC); European Train Control System (ETCS); changes after retirement; impact of privatisation; WS Atkins consultant; post-Ladbroke Grove accident signals passed at danger (SPAD) project; Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann (IE)) review of signalling principles Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) licensing scheme

Philip Wiltshire interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2018-10-10

Oral history interview with Lord William Bradshaw, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in Oxfordshire on 9 April 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 39 min. 33 sec. British Rail (BR) career; departure in 1986; academic career; 1993 Railways Bill; Special adviser to Transport Select Committee; Chartered Institute of Transport (CIT); role of Select Committee; Adam Smith Institute; Gwyneth Dunwoody (Chair); Railtrack evidence; separation of track from trains; reports dismissed by government; Rail Regulator; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); rolling stock sold below true value; comparisons with other privatisations; lawyers and accountants; Labour government; Penmanshiel Tunnel; Andrew Haines; Select Committees reports rejected by government; appointed to Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); Alastair Morton; Channel Tunnel layout at St Pancras; work of SRA; Chiltern Railways franchise; John Prescott; Hatfield accident consequences

Lord WIlliam Bradshaw interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-04-09

Oral history interview with David Rollin, conducted and recorded by Richard Malins in Doncaster on 6 March 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 51 min. 47 sec. Early career; gaining commercial expertise with British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL); Project Director for InterCity 225/250; management buyout (MBO) interest; train engineering service units (TESCOs); acquiring business and expansion skills; bid finance; Interfleet deal; Vendor Unit; shares offers; sale of business; business growth; international operations; structure; SNC-Lavalin (SNCL) purchase; railway pensions; organisational culture and structure; bringing British Rail (BR) culture over; SNCL mergers; reflections on career; BREL; Class 91

David Rollin interviewed by Richard Malins

Oral Histories

2019-03-06

Oral history interview with Steve Murphy, conducted and recorded by Nick Mitchell at St Mary Axe, London on 22 November 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 10 min. 1 sec. Early career; Chiltern Trains management buyout (MBO); culture change; franchise agreement; Adrian Shooter; working with government regulators; 3i; Association of train operating Companies (ATOC); secondment to Irish Railways (Iarnród Éireann); London Overground; reflections on privatisation and franchising

Steve Murphy interviewed by Nick Mitchell

Oral Histories

2018-11-22

Oral history interview with Dominic Booth, conducted and recorded by Dick Fearn at the interviewee's office in Abellio Headquarters, London on 30 April 2018. Duration: 40 min. 46 sec. Career overview; military approach to management in British Rail (BR); InterCity sector in the East Anglia division at privatisation; setting up Isle of Wight Railway; move to South Eastern Train Operating Company prior to privatisation; management buyout (MBO) bid; sadness over bid failure; beginning of Connex South Eastern; decision to move on; Prism Welsh franchises situation; formation of Welsh Assembly; comparison of passenger rail services before and after privatisation; post-privatisation rail industry

Dominic Booth interviewed by Dick Fearn

Oral Histories

2018-04-30

Oral history interview with Brian Maddison, conducted and recorded by Richard Spoors at the interviewee's home in Nottingham on 16 May 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 2 min. 37 sec. Peterborough District Civil Engineer’s office; King's Cross 1965; bridge reconstruction; Leicester Area Civil Engineer’s office 1968; Nottingham Division Buildings Section 1971; diving training 1968; Works Production Assistant; railway diving; bridge scour; Glanrhyd accident 1987; river bed measurement; InterCity Area Civil Engineer’s office Peterborough; Network SouthEast; New Barnet station vandalism; sectorisation changes; Renewals Assistant (Permanent Way); Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE); Assistant Area Civil Engineer Works 1993; part of British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); setting up own company; no future for British Rail (BR) Works function; Bridgeway set up 1995; working with Railtrack; expertise reassembled

Brian Maddison interviewed by Richard Spoors

Oral Histories

2018-05-16

Oral history interview with David Prescott, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street on 9 April 2018 at the National Railway Museum, York. Duration: 2 hr. 45 min. 19 sec. Introduction to Provincial Sector; approach to privatisation; interface between rail passenger businesses; Regional Railways fares; Railway Bill 1993; performance dialogue with Department of Transport (DoT); rolling stock leasing; interview with Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); move to British Rail Commercial Manager; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); management of global rail travelcards; Routeing Guide; National Rail Enquiry Service (NRES); ATOC role; British Rail International/Eurostar; Rail Settlement Plan (RSP); Regional Railways revenue benefits of new rolling stock; perceived Government attitude to privatisation; National Express Scotrail franchise; ancillary businesses; new stations; interaction with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive; Scottish Government involvement in rail; effect of privatisation on career and family; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Leadership 500; train operating units (TOUs); Railtrack shortcomings; necessity of privatisation; limitations; railway now less cost effective

David Prescott interviewed by David Wharton-Street

Oral Histories

2018-04-09

Oral history interview with Philip Benham, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in North Yorkshire on 12 February 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 49 min. 4 sec. Traffic Student; Divisional Inspector Nottingham; Area Manager York; Area Manager King's Cross; sectorisation; Organising for Quality (OfQ) implementation in Eastern Region operations; Customer Services and Retail Manager InterCity 1992; 1992 election; career implications of privatisation; East Coast Main Line (ECML) management buyout (MBO); franchise development role; workload; MBO unsuccessful; Ticketing and Inter-operator Contracts Implementation Team (TICIT); Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) part of franchise requirements; Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets System (ORCATS); ATOC framework; ticket conditions; legal issues and cultural change; network and train operating company (TOC independence; realities of privatisation; need for central co-ordination of industry; Rail Delivery Group (RDG); Double Arrow accepted as cross-industry brand marker; General Manager North York Moors Railway (NYMR); reflections on privatisation

Philip Benham interviewed by Brian Clementson

Oral Histories

2019-02-12

Oral history interview with Alec McTavish, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's home in Chislehurst on 21 November 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 17 min. 41 sec. Personal background; Government Economic Service; John Welsby; Move to British Rail Policy Unit; sectorization; Planning and Strategy Manager Provincial; John Edmonds; personal views on privatisation proposals; Head of British Rail Business Systems; information technology (IT) organisation in Derby; Director of Operations Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); James Gordon; revenue clearing scheme; Rail Settlement Plan (RSP); involvement of train operating companies (TOCs); RSP franchise cancellation; telephone enquiries; Serco; views of staff; George Muir; station issues; ATOC involvement in franchise agreements; reflections on privatisation and career

Alec McTavish interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2019-11-21

Oral history interview with John Smith, conducted and recorded by Michael Robson (session 1) at the interviewee's office at GB Railfreight, London on 28 June 2019. Duration: 56 min. 16 sec. Career overview; shadow Anglia franchise; Hull Trains; GB Railfreight; challenges compared to working for British Rail (BR); cultural differences between GB Railways and BR; Master Operating Lease Agreement (MOLA); Class 170; rolling stock costs; open access; Hull Trains; GB Railfreight (GBRf) contract for Railtrack infrastructure services; intermodal freight; Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC); English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS); GBRf principles; intermodal productivity; Class 66 maintenance; reflections on post-privatisation industry

John Smith interviewed by Michael Robson (session 1 of 2)

Oral Histories

2019-06-28

Oral history interview with David Dodd, conducted and recorded by Dick Fearn at the interviewee's home in Reading on 31 August 2018. Duration: 50 min. 17 sec. Overview of career; British Rail (BR) International marketing role in Paris; sectorisation; Organising for Quality (OfQ); franchising process; reaction to the split of Network SouthEast (NSE) Thames and Chiltern Division; decision not to join management buyout (MBO); joining Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); role of OPRAF; background of OPRAF colleagues; contract preparation; first franchise sales processes; first bidders; role in process; formation of Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); differences between OPRAF and SRA; conclusions on benefits of privatisation; passenger growth

David Dodd interviewed by Anthony Richard Fearn

Oral Histories

2018-08-31

Oral history interview with Allison Ingram, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the HS1 Ltd. Head Office, York Way, London on 1 April 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 18 min. 41 sec. Station Manager Grove Park 1987; female staff experiences; Assistant Area Operations Manager Brighton 1989; relationships; analysis of performance; Service Group Manager Wales & West 1990; Gordon Pettitt; Class 158; Paul King; service patterns; train crews support; Class 14x Pacers; impact of privatisation 1993; split of Cardiff Valleys; John Swift; Roger Salmon; John Edmonds; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); Roger Salmon; organisational culture; Railtrack sale priority; performance regime; Operational Research input; negotiations with Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); Michael Beswick; involvement with shadow train operating companies (TOCs); development of service requirement; track access; Infrastructure improvements incentives; West Coast Main Line (WCML) InterCity 250; moderation of competition; Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services (ORCATS); open access; sale of TOC franchisees; vetting bidders; East Coast franchise; vetting bids; employment status

Allison Ingram interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-06-03

Oral history interview with Alan Deboo, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Wiltshire on 22 September 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 9 min. 41 sec. Early career; joined British Rail (BR) as Personnel Manager 1989; culture comparison; Organising for Quality (OfQ); policies; communications; bargaining; Cannon Street accident; support after accidents; privatisation; travel benefits; advising government; Travel Facilities Working Party; pensions and redundancy arrangements; communication with staff and trade unions; Ministry of Defence; redundancy support package; train operating company (TOC) profits; culture comparison; temporary companies; scale of work; BR sports facilities; advising government on change in trade union bargaining power due to fragmentation

Alan Deboo interviewed by David Maidment

Oral Histories

2020-09-22

Oral history interview with Stanley Judd, conducted and recorded by Christopher Mew at another interviewee's home in Northamptonshire on 10 May 2019, includes contributions from Philip Dunkley and James Ward. Duration: 21 min. 53 sec. Railway career; completion of Safety Cases; Chairmen could apply experience to safety considerations; Railtrack approach to safety; contractor management key safety responsibility; remit of Safety Cases

Stanley Judd interviewed by Christopher Mew

Oral Histories

2019-05-10

Oral history interview with Andrew Nock, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's home in Bedfordshire on 24 April 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 13 min. 28 sec. Career overview; awareness of scope for freight privatisation 1980s; cash generation; Privatisation Studies group; action immediate after election 1992; freight privatisation team; working with Department for Transport (DfT); Trainload Freight (TLF) split geographically; contracts for engineering trains; freight management buy-out teams; Wisconsin Central; Ed Burkhardt; views in retrospect

Andrew Nock interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2018-04-24

Oral history interview with Stuart Baker, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session 2) at the interviewee's home in York on 4 December 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 9 min. 56 sec. Mersey Travel Ltd. (MTL); transfer of staff; MTL and passenger transport executives (PTEs); track access agreement; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); delays mechanism; MTL reasons for handing back franchise; Arriva appointment; working in Denmark; joining Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); Chris Kinchin-Smith; West Coast Passenger Upgrade 2 (PUG2); rolling stock; CrossCountry; abolition of SRA; West Coast problems; transfer to Department for Transport (DfT); objections to PUG2; Network Rail/Virgin West Coast commitment to December 2008 timetable change; network development; Reading station; Hitachi Class 821/2; feasibility of Midland Main Line (MML) electrification; High Speed 2 (HS2); electrification; TransPennine; Chairman of British Railways Board; thoughts on privatisation; franchise flexibility; assessment of career

Stuart Baker interviewed by David Wharton-Street (session 2 of 3)

Oral Histories

2018-12-04

Oral history interview with Mark Evans, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 27 November 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 34 min. 26 sec. Early career; Station Manager Gatwick; re-organisations; Passenger Manager Waterloo 1994; revenue protection; Network SouthEast (NSE); Area Manager Portsmouth; Isle of Wight railway; Chris Green; Area Manager Woking; Clapham Junction accident 1989; sectorisation; Waterloo Retail Manager; South West Trains (SWT); Privatisation Manager; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); management buyout (MBO) team; Rail Regulator; Longform Report; due diligence process; workload; preferred bidders; Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) arrangements; Stagecoach; redundancies; National Express; bids; staff reactions to privatisation

Mark Evans interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-11-27

Oral history interview with Michael Woods, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in London on 24 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 18 min. 11 sec. Early career; industrial relations; Personal Assistant to Bob Reid 1; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Eurostar 1989-1996; Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); AEA Technology 2001-2004; earlier privatisations; David Rayner appointed Lead Director for Organising for Quality (OfQ); European Passenger Services; move from subsidiary to privatisation; comparison with other recent infrastructure projects; representing Eurostar on project teams; Eurostar government owned company (GOCO) April 1994; Railtrack agreement with Eurotunnel; award to London & Continental Railways; Clapham accident involvement; safety investments panel formed; Safe Cess initiative; development of Safety Panels; Safety Management Intelligence System (SMIS) and Safety Risk Model (SRM); Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations (ROGS); Hatfield accident; Waterloo roof alterations; links between Railtrack and metro systems; analysis of original privatisation objectives

Michael Woods interviewed by Brian Clementson

Oral Histories

2019-06-24

Oral history interview with Adrian Shooter, conducted and recorded by David Maidment (session 1) in a public place on 12 June 2019. Duration: 59 min. 5 sec. Early career; Area Manager St Pancras; driver only operation (DOO); Managing Director Red Star Parcels; Director Parcels; Post Office contracts; work on privatisation for Director Engineering; setting up rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); arranging Master Operating Lease Agreements (MOLA); input from TOCs; relationships with civil service; setting up Chiltern Trains; management buyout (MBO) successful; discussions with ROSCOs

Adrian Shooter interviewed by David Maidment (session 1 of 3)

Oral Histories

2019-06-12

Oral history interview with George Muir, conducted and recorded by Richard Malins at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London on 1 June 2018. Duration: 50 min. 1 sec. Early career; Connex South Eastern; Director General Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); lobbying and running schemes; train operating company (TOC) parent companies representation; inherited experience and knowledge from British Rail (BR); Rail Settlement Plan (RSP) challenge; BR legacy systems; policy tensions; TOCs and Railtrack; National Performance Task Force set-up; writing book; BR management analysis; prior experience of privatisation; Railtrack unrealistic objectives; politicians; media; rail users; safety; Ladbroke Grove accident; Grayrigg accident; Potters Bar accident; Hatfield accident; trade unions; reflections

George Muir interviewed by Richard Malins

Oral Histories

2018-06-01

Oral history interview with David Blake, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 February 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 17 min. 41 sec. Career overview; re-structuring British Rail Engineering Ltd. (BREL); working with John Welsby; Director of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (DM&EE) British Railways Board (BRB); Bob Reid 2; John Welsby; division of responsibilities; Channel Tunnel route; John Prideaux; attitudes to privatisation; commitments; Managing Director Vendor Unit; created structure and team; remit; government pressure for quick wins; Meldon Quarry; Special Trains Unit; bid process; merchant bank involvement; British Rail Telecommunications (BRT) sale; trade unions stance; increasing delegation to units; Railfreight; Freightliner; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); Jim Cornell; working with Department of Transport (DoT); ranking of sales priorities; timescale effects; personal approach; value for money; reflections

David Blake interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2020-02-13

Oral history interview with Chris Stokes, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 12 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 55 min. 41 sec. Deputy Director Network SouthEast; joining Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); team recruitment process; relationships with Brian Mawhinney (Secretary of State for Transport); OPRAF policy decisions; track access agreements; Chiltern Trains; performance bond; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); moderation of competition; John Welsby; franchise process; initial revenue growth; bidder market development; London, Tilbury & Southend (LTS) management buyout (MBO); ROSCO sale process; bid analysis; Ivor Warburton; sleeper services; passenger transport executives (PTEs); Save our Railways; relationships with Department for Transport (DfT); quality improvements; franchising system shortcomings; John Prescott; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); Alastair Morton; culture change

Chris Stokes interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-06-12

Oral history interview with Richard Spoors, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in Buckinghamshire on 10 July 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 29 min. 25 sec. Early career; Clapham accident; move into Rail Privatisation Unit at British Railways Board (BRB) Headquarters; John Palmer; creation of Railtrack; aftermath of accidents; preparation for a new safety regime; Train Protection Warning System (TWPS); Hatfield accident; tilting trains for West Coast Main Line (WCML); privatisation; reporting lines to BRB and Department for Transport/Treasury; open access; separation of track from trains; management buyouts (MBOs); Railtrack; McKinsey consultants; different views on Railtrack set up; Railtrack vesting; organisational structure; British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); division of responsibilities; safety validation; personal career trajectory; Eurostar; Hatfield accident; Southall accident; move to Railtrack; culture change; track issues; professional training after privatisation; Permanent Way Institution (PWI); effects on personal life; customer focus after privatisation

Richard Spoors interviewed by Brian Clementson

Oral Histories

2018-07-10

Oral history interview with Paul Crowther, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's office in the British Transport Police Headquarters, London on 25 February 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 04 min. 32 sec. Joining British Transport Police (BTP) 1980; Detective Constable; Underground/London Transport Division; secondment to Metropolitan Police (Met); Inspector Waterloo 1992; Incident Commander at Hatfield accident 2000; Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI); changes in major incident response due to privatisation; Investigating Officer for Potters Bar accident 2002; creation of Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB); Hatfield manslaughter charges failed; Sir Ian Johnston; Area Commander Underground 2004; 7/7 bombings and subsequent failed attacks; Met merger rejected; became Chief Constable 2014; Privatisation seen as a threat 1993; transfer to Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); charging model for police services; Police Committee composition; James Jerram (Chair); attribution of crimes to operator; stakeholder involvement due to privatisation; delay attribution Schedule 8 payments; suicide reduction strategies

Paul Crowther interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2020-02-25

Oral history interview with Richard Goldson, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson (session 1) at the interviewer's home in York on 9 April 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 14 min. 55 sec. British Rail: Eastern Region Traffic Management Trainee Leeds Division 1970; Assistant Area Manager Knottingley; Personal Assistant to David Bowick; Station Manager Brighton; reforming parcels staff work at Brighton; training at The Grove; quality of training, British Rail Headquarters Marylebone marketing department 1981-1982; open station concept objectives and implementation; freight; aggregates; Foster Yeoman project; Regional Freight Manager Swindon; Railfreight International Business Manager; train ferry; Freight Business Headquarters at Euston House, Railfreight Finance and Resources Manager; new Anglia Region; future involvement in Organising for Quality (OfQ) project; OfQ project team; trade unions relationship; sub-sectors; Signalling & Telecoms (S&T) function; sector management structure; project completion party; privatisation secrecy; comments and relationship with John Edmonds; relations between the Board and Department of Transport (DoT); impact on personal life

Richard Goldson interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 1 of 2)

Oral Histories

2018-04-09

Oral history interview with Carol Bustard, conducted and recorded by Richard Malins at the interviewee's home in London on 11 February 2020. Duration: 58 min. 22 sec. Early career; joining British Transport Hotels; Campaigns Assistant British Railways Board (BRB); Passenger Sales Manager British Rail: Eastern Region; Tourism Manager Regional Railways; Network SouthEast (NSE) preparation for privatisation; joining Railtrack; negotiations with train operating companies (TOCs); sponsorship and project management; Project Submarine; re-franchising; working with Halcrow and Bechtel; experience of women in rail roles; cultural changes at privatisation; Network Rail Project Violet; performance regimes blame culture; reflections on career; arrival of French managers; record keeping

Carol Bustard interveiwed by Richard Malins

Oral Histories

2020-02-11

Oral history interview with Sir Michael Holden, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the Union Jack Club, London, on 27 November 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 43 min. 10 sec. British Rail (BR) Traffic Student 1974; marketing Southern Region; Assistant Station Manager; staff relations; Station Manager Twickenham; engineering works experience; Clapham Junction; Assistant Station Manager King's Cross; Motorail; Class 43 High Speed Train (HST) coolant problems 1984; Area Customer Services Manager Slough; Area Manager Watford; driver only operation (DOO) Northampton; South Western Operations Manager; preparation for sectorisation; DOO safety issues; vertical integration; central control of marketing; considerations about move to Railtrack; signalling strike 1994; Zone Director East Anglia; Railtrack Investment Panel; zone team; relationships with train operating companies (TOCs); penalty regimes; minimum changes on privatisation; operational train performance improved; McKinseys consultancy; Zone Director Southern; Hatfield accident; Ladbroke Grove accident; collapse of Railtrack; renewal shortfalls; Railtrack in Administration; Managing Director South Eastern; early retirement; consultancy; Directly Operated Railways (DOR) East Coast; reflections; Williams Review

Sir Michael Holden interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2018-11-27

Oral history interview with Sir Moir Lockhead, conducted and recorded by Richard Goldson at the Chaplain's office, Paddington station on 14 February 2019. Duration: 56 min. 50 sec. Personal background; political moves towards privatisation; First Group branding; initial corporate plan; Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP); First Great Eastern franchise; comparative size of bus/rail companies; risk management; balance of cost and revenue projections; first impressions of rail; focus on safety; transferable lessons from buses; relationship with Railtrack/Network Rail; integrated transport; management of acquired companies; open access operation and competition; interactions with government bodies; industrial relations; reflections; effects of privatisation

Sir Moir Lockhead interviewed by Richard Goldson

Oral Histories

2019-02-14

Oral history interview with Clifford Perry, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Birdcage Walk, London on 14 May 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 46 min. 11 sec. Career overview; attitude to privatisation; technical and people issues arising from privatisation; staff concerns; papers delivered to Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE); necessary expertise existing; future commercial opportunities; transition management; safety issues critical; Clapham accident response; new attitudes to risk; safety cases; national incident record; maintenance schedules efficiencies; Managing risk versus costs in British Rail (BR) role; new rolling stock introduction safety; Class 165 issues; clear contractual arrangements between companies responsibilities for wheel and rail post-privatisation; more rigorous risk management; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); personal impact of privatisation; railway running through process; intellectual property ownership; different approaches required due to franchise turnover; safety implications; setting-up ROSCO exciting; dealing with lawyers/banks/insurance companies; Angel Trains; culture change over time; involvement of banks and asset values; supply chain and their readiness for privatised railway; reflections on privatisation

Clifford Perry interviewed by Brian Clementson

Oral Histories

2018-05-14

Oral history interview with John Rhodes, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's home in Hertfordshire on 18 April 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 30 min. Department of the Environment; West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE); British Rail Headquarters Business Review department; Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); privatisation model; advising on the Railways Bill; developing regulation approach; industry financial structure; privatisation objectives; role at ORR; open access operators; Train Operating Units; decision to privatise Railtrack; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); Organising for Quality (OfQ); funding stability; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); working with Office of Rail Passenger Franchising (OPRAF); trainload freight businesses; ticket retailing; risk transfer and passenger franchises

John Rhodes interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2018-04-18

Oral history interview with Geoff Mee, conducted and recorded by Michael Robson at the Royal Over-Seas League, London on 14 June 2018. Duration: 59 min. 32 sec. Early career; Train Planning Manager South Eastern Division; Network SouthEast (NSE); Railtrack; British Railways Board (BRB) Privatisation Director; Booze Allan; Veolia; Qatar World Cup rail planning; views on privatisation; tension between BRB and Railtrack; privatisation teams structure; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) set-up; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); Access Disputes Resolution Committee (ADRC); relationships between government/railways/future operators; income and expenditure; South Eastern and South Central franchises; less flexibility; increased investment

Geoff Mee interviewed by Michael Robson

Oral Histories

2018-06-14

Oral history interview with Adrian Shooter, conducted and recorded by David Maidment (session 3) at the Railway Children office, Sandbach, Cheshire on 29 August 2019. Duration: 58 min. 52 sec. British Transport Police (BTP) Committee; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); relationship with Railtrack/Network Rail; Chair Wrexham & Shropshire Railway; Chair Tyne & Wear Metro Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Vivarail; sustainability; Chair Vintage Trains Ltd/Tyseley Loco Works; decision to bid to be train operating company (TOC); steam specials and other businesses; training steam traction drivers; attitude of senior managers to railway enthusiasm

Adrian Shooter interviewed by David Maidment (session 3 of 3)

Oral Histories

2019-08-29

Oral history interview with Robert Breakwell, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Essex on 5 February 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 31 min. 6 sec. Joined as Clerk British Rail: Southern Region; station and area management; Train Crew Management British Rail: London Midland Region; Operations Planning Manager Great Eastern (GE); implementing Train Crew Agreement; Managing Director West Anglia/Great Northern; Managing Director GE Network SouthEast (NSE); preparing for privatisation; preparing bid with Compagnie Generale des Eaux (CGE); Drivers’ Manning Agreement; First Group successful bid; business plan; South West Trains (SWT) train crew problems; competition with Anglia; impact of accidents; merger with Anglia as First Greater Anglia; staff attitudes to privatisation; impact of rail defect problem; difficult relationship with Railtrack; preparation for new franchise bid; effects of privatisation on GE

Robert Breakwell interviewed by David Maidment

Oral Histories

2019-02-05

Oral history interview with David MacLean, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 10 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 39 min. 48 sec. Personal background; apprenticeship; Signalling & Telecoms (S&T); merger; microwave radio Doncaster to Edinburgh; public address systems; King's Cross test bed; Anglia Region; Contracts Manager responsibilities; project management relationships; Organising for Quality (OfQ); establishment of British Rail Telecommunications (BRT); safety; approach to job; attitude to privatisation; John Drake; shadow train operating companies (TOCs); preparing for sale of BRT; Racal culture change; share value; trade unions

David MacLean interviewed by Frank Paterson

Oral Histories

2019-06-10

Oral history interview with David Tyson, conducted and recorded by Richard Goldson at the Railway Pension Trust offices, Liverpool Street in London on 3 May 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 22 min. 24 sec. Driver’s Assistant; Driver; Norwich Depot; Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) Executive; Railways Pension Trustee; stagnation on railways 1980s; traincrew concept 1988; participation in ASLEF and rising up the hierarchy; privatisation preparation; Regional Railways Central (RRC) profit centre; increased supervision; possibility of management career; taking privatisation seriously 1992; ASLEF opposition; traditional link structures abolished; fears about Railtrack; creation of Anglia Railways; wage dispute 1995; Railway Savings Bank; passenger demand growth; GB Rail open access operations; Network Rail; approach to trade union negotiation; differences between franchisees; future of train driving; salary competition

David Tyson interviewed by Richard Goldson

Oral Histories

2018-05-03

Oral history interview with Prof. Stephen Glaister, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's home in London on 13 February 2019. Duration: 1 hr.13 min. 5 sec. Personal background; problem of growing rail subsidy; Margaret Thatcher; protecting unremunerative services; John Swift (Designate Rail Regulator); Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); Roger Salmon (Franchising Director); Railtrack; Regulator’s advisory panel; government objectives; vision of competition; Initial tasks for Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); government focus on public expenditure; sale of Railtrack; West Coast Main Line (WCML) upgrade; Passenger Upgrade 2 (PUG2); service growth; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs)

Prof. Stephen Glaister interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2019-02-13

Oral history interview with Anton Valk, conducted and recorded by Michael Robson at the Science Museum, London on 11 September 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 18 min. 2 sec. Career and experience; setting-up Abellio; Meeting with Sir Alistair Morton; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); South West bid with First Group; Hatfield accident; Brian Burdsall, join venture with Serco; Mersey Rail and Northern franchises; staff morale; stakeholder involvement; Transport Select Committee hearing; London Overground concession bid; European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM); change of name from Ned Rail to Abellio; Greater Anglia franchise bid; exchange of best practice; reflections on time in UK

Anton Valk interviewed by Michael Robson

Oral Histories

2018-09-11

Oral history interview with Dr. John Prideaux, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson (session 2) at the interviewee's home in London on 14 May 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 10 min. 1 sec. Move from Intercity to New Ventures; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) route; privatisation discussions with Malcolm Rifkind; Roger Freeman; New Ventures remit; Heathrow Express; Bill Bradshaw input; CTRL political disagreements; review of route specifications; Arup; relationships between British Rail (BR) and local authorities; Union Railways established; environmental issues; awareness campaign; terminus and station decisions; industry reaction when leaving BR; effects on personal life; future career options; Nomura; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); Guy Hands; joining Angel Trains; reflections on career; Class 390 Pendelino; Chairman Manchester Tram System; Chairman Ffestiniog Railway

Dr. John Prideaux interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 2 of 2)

Oral Histories

2019-05-14

Oral history interview with Michael Beswick, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee in Hertfordshire on 10 September 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 3 min. 13 sec. Personal background; pre-1992 considerations on InterCity privatisation; 1992 election; implications for InterCity business and brand; John Ellis (InterCity Deputy Managing Director); Roger Salmon (Franchising Director) and John Swift (Rail Regulator) appointed; government urgency; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); Roger Freeman (Minister of Transport); paper on fares regulation leaked; joining Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); ORR initially a small organisation; privatisation structure goes live; plans to privatise Railtrack; approving track access contracts; moderation of competition; Project Control Group; performance regimes; preparing to privatise Railtrack; Relationships with Franchising Director; regulating Railtrack; sale of Railtrack; benefits and disappointments about privatisation

Michael Beswick interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2018-09-10

Oral history interview with Michael Lee, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session 2) at the interviewee's home in Hertfordshire on 23 May 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 35 min. 31 sec. Creation of Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) teams for each franchise; South Central and West Anglia-Great Northern (WAGN) franchises; franchise length; forms and process documentation; successful bidders for South Central and WAGN; Transportation Consultants International (TCI); AEA Technology; Office of Rail and Road (ORR); open access; manipulation of Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services (ORCATS); ORR business plan and monitoring; disruption compensation; Network Rail; Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) and rail safety; ORR’s risk register; Network Rail devolution; investment scheme overruns and cost escalation; British Rail (BR) investment in developing people; overseas privatisations; Control Period (CP) 5 and Northern England; sectorisation; reflections on privatisation; Williams Review

Michael Lee interviewed by David Wharton Street (session 2 of 2)

Oral Histories

2019-05-23

Oral history interview with Monty Hiatt, conducted and recorded by Christopher Mew at the interviewee's home in Herefordshire on 11 December 2019. Duration: 14 min. 21 sec. Operational Research (OR) Management Trainee 1965; description of team; initial use of OR; John Prideaux; Passenger Demand FOrecasting Handbook (PDFH); role of OR until privatisation; British Railways Board used OR during privatisation; privatisation as threat to OR as a central body; change in OR’s role post-privatisation

Monty Hiatt interviewed by Christopher Mew

Oral Histories

2019-12-11

Oral history interview with Adrian Clough, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's office in London on 11 February 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 15 min. 16 sec. Personal background; Initial views on privatisation; Organising for Quality (OfQ); joining Office of Rail Passenger Franchising (OPRAF); Roger Salmon (Designate Franchising Director) Chris Stokes; early days at shadow OPRAF; performance regimes; Passenger and Interoperator Revenue and Ticketing Executive (PIRATE) working group; Ticketing and Inter-operator Contracts Implementation Team (TICIT); Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets System (ORCATS); team structure; workload; time pressures; OPRAF decision making process; franchise sales process; sale of rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) and Railtrack; reflections on OPRAF and privatisation

Adrian Clough interviewed by Michael Lee

Oral Histories

2019-02-11

Oral history interview with Andrew Bliss, conducted and recorded by Gordon Dudman at the interviewee's office at Network Rail, Crewe on 23 March 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 5 min. 16 sec. Early career; changing nature of parcels business; Rail Express Systems (RES); InterCity allowed development of premium parcels business; business needed the support of all operations staff; realisation that privatisation would allow Red Star to control costs; impact of privatisation on decisions as Red Star Manager Birmingham; responsibility for 110 staff; Red Star Production Manager; first steps of privatisation early 1990s; Adrian Shooter (Managing Director Parcels); Ivan Coucher (Managing Director for Red Star); managerial appointments; different priorities of ex-British Rail (BR) managers and external managers; new general managers; appointment as Production Manager; early management buyout (MBO) discussions; early decisions to restructure Red Star; privatisation appropriate for parcels distribution business; outside management practices in Red Star replicated; views on privatisation of Red Star and wider rail industry

Andrew Bliss interviewed by Gordon Dudman

Oral Histories

2018-03-23