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Oral history interview with Donald Heath, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in the East Riding of Yorkshire on 17 October 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 46 min. 2 sec. Early Career; British Rail (BR) Research track stability; development of stone blower; drop joints; relationships with other departments; Planning department British Rail: London Midland Region; Birmingham New Street track layout process; Newton Heath Maintenance Depot; programmes planning; development of networks critical path analysis; Signalling & Telecommunications (S&T) reluctance; rules of the route for possessions; over-runs factors; Manchester Central Area tunnel scheme development 1972; passenger transport executive (PTE); Transmark project in Tehran 1976-1980; Deputy Director Major Projects; Project Director East Coast Main Line (ECML) electrification; project progress; project scale; development of computerised management information systems; Durham Viaduct; Berwick-upon-Tweed; impact of organisational changes; first through electric train London to Edinburgh July 1991; Crossrail; failed Bill 1992; submission withdrawn 1993; retirement; consultancy; reflections

Donald Heath interviewed by Frank Paterson (Session 1 of 2)

2018-10-17
Oral history interview with Michael Siebert, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Reading on 9 June 2021. Duration: 1 hr. 49 min. 16 sec. Education, early career; 1974 Health & Safety Act; fire and explosion expert for Health and Safety Executive (HSE); joined British Rail (BR) as Head of Safety Audit 1990; health and safety development in railways; railway safety regulations; train accident investigation; Career as chemist in private industry and Health & Safety Executive, safety audit with fire & explosion specialism, joined BR to develop safety audit post Clapham accident. Implemented Safety Audit and Safety Validation process on BR pre privatisation and used these systems within Railtrack Safety Case to validate and audit privatised railway companies. Part of massive change of safety culture between 1990 and 1995 pre privatisation.

Michael Siebert interviewed by David Maidment

2021-06-09
Oral history interview with Philip O'Donnell, conducted and recorded by Peter Willey at the interviewee's home in Buckinghamshire on 20 March 2018. Duration: 56 min. 26 sec. Career overview; highlights; cultural change from Civil Service to British Rail; radical vision for structure; rail privatisation compared with other privatisations; industry structure; Privatisation Unit; importance of track access rights in Department for Transport (DfT) and Treasury model; role of the Rail Regulator over charges and contracts; definition of track access rights; designing the contractual arrangements from scratch; role of DfT; industry re-organisation 1992; emergence of Railtrack management structure; flotation of Railtrack in 1996; role of the Rail Regulator; effect of cultural change on people; involvement in West Coast Mainline (WCML) upgrade; dedication of colleagues; shift from contraction to growth; reflections on privatisation

Philip O'Donnell interviewed by Peter Willey

2018-03-20
Oral history interview with Mike Crabtree, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's home in Crewe on 29 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 17 min. 24 sec. Personal career; early career; Acting Superintendent Doncaster Works 1979; building Class 56s; Superintendent of Wagon Works 1980-1984; Works re-organisation; British Rail Engineering Ltd (BREL); British Rail Maintenance Ltd (BRML); BREL privatisation; sectorisation; new contract systems; staff benefits concerns; BREL management buyout (MBO) preparation and involvement; Production Manager British Railways Board (BRB); Level 5 Maintenance Depots preparation for privatisation; financial arrangements; General Manager of Departmental Traffic; preparation for privatisation; MBO; three freight companies set-up; personal situation 1994; Fleet Manager for Trainload Freight South East: MBO; Mainline Freight MBO; split of locomotive and wagon repairs management; National Power; wagon policy; MBO progress; management style; Wisconsin Central; Ed Burkhardt; English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS); Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI); new organisation; Scottish depots; scope for action under privatisation; staff reductions

Mike Crabtree interviewed by David Maidment

2018-05-29
Oral history interview with Roger Salmon, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in Cambridge on 30 October 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 41 min. 5 sec. Banking career; headhunted for first Director of Rail Franchising 1992; recruitment; setting-up team; personality analysis; Department of Transport attitudes; objectives; first draft franchise agreement rejected; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) team working practices differences from civil service culture; network of contract documents; rolling stock issues; Andrew Pitt; Railtrack track access difficulties; British Rail (BR) good relationship with OPRAF; relationship with Department of Transport (DoT) and Treasury; documentation; breakdown of processes; Thameslink 2000; Allison Ingram; development of Schedule 8 performance concepts

Roger Salmon interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-10-30
Oral history interview with David E. Rayner, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in York on 2 May 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 42 min. 59 sec. Personal background; early career; Personal Assistant to David Bowick; Saatchi & Saatchi advertising; encouragement from Peter Parker; Deputy General Manager British Rail: Eastern Region 1985; British Rail: Anglia Region; electrification; Donald Heath; Board Member British Railways Board (BRB); Managing Director Engineering & Operations; British Transport Police (BTP); sectorisation; Clapham accident issues; King’s Cross fire; Safety Directorate established; Clapham accident Hidden Report; quality management ; David Maidment; foundation of penalty regime; Brian Burdsall; audit of re-organisation processes; Bob Reid 2 attitude to privatisation 1991; separation of trains and track feasibility; formation of shadow Railtrack John Welsby; Safety Cases; Health & Safety Executive (HSE) involvement; Railtrack floatation; Bob Horton; John Edmonds; analysis of recommendations from railway accident inquiries; Railtrack culture; train operating companies (TOC) management; composition of Railtrack Board; Gerald Corbett; privatisation achieved due to John Welsby; relationships with trade unions on safety; managerial responses; minimal involvement with Department of Transport (DoT); Board membership; personal reflections on privatisation

David Rayner interviewed by Frank Paterson

2018-05-02
Interview with Robert Thornton conducted by Richard Malins in Reading on the 12th July 2021. Duration 1hr. 16 min. 59 sec. Career introduction; pre nationalisation structure; move to business structure; creation of architecture and design group; Management Buy out; current role; Development of Modular Concepts; key design issues; signage; British rail corporate identity; use of alphabets and fonts; awareness of Railway heritage; building architecture; Kings Cross St Pancras; Liverpool Street-last British rail in house architectural project; Tiverton parkway Station project; Architecture and Design group role changing; Experience of working with listed buildings; writing his book; changing budget for stations; Station Regeneration Programme; building maintenance and condition of railway station estate is an important benefit of privatisation.

Robert Thornton interviewed by Richard Malins

2021-07-12
Oral history interview with Clifford Perry, conducted and recorded by Chris Kinchin-Smith in Berkshire on 19 July 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 18 min. 13 sec. Early career; Intercity 125 introduction; general management experience; setting up Angel Trains; Director of Traction & Rolling Stock Network SouthEast (NSE); aimed to make privatisation work; Managing Director Thameslink Train Operating Company (TOC); Thameslink 2000; driver only operation (DOO); difficult relationships with Railtrack; Thameslink management buyout; joint venture partner; reasons for unsuccessful bid; GoVia; impact on family life; Sharesave scheme; lessons from MBO bid process; high fixed costs; potential fleet discussed with Porterbrook; change in bidders’ approach during privatisation; losing bid to GoVia; joining AEA Technology; effects of privatisation on TOCs; Thameslink 2000; AEA Technology sale of rail business; improved understanding of interfaces and safety; effects of volume growth and investment

Clifford Perry interviewed by Chris Kinchin-Smith (Session 1 of 2)

2018-07-19
Oral history interview with David Douglas, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in York on 11 June 2021. Duration:31 min. 6 sec. Education; Trainload freight; Track maintenance; Privatisation anxiety; Production Director, eastern Track Renewals Co; purchasing of companies; Formation of Fastline Co; Management Employee Buy out; Jarvis ltd takeover of Fastline; relationship with Railtrack and Network Rail; head of Civil engineering at Jarvis; Senior role in Network Rail; Working on international projects; opinions on privatisation.

David Douglas Interviewed by Brian Clementson

2021-06-11
Interview with Jonathan Bray conducted by Frank Paterson on the 9th September 2021 in Askham Bryan. Duration: 49 min. 49 sec. Education and early interests; campaigning process; recruitment to save Our Railways campaign; Political influence and timetable for privatisation; amendments to Railways Bill; briefing of MPs; Office of Rail Passenger Franchising amended documentation; Rail user Group relationships; Labour attitude to rail; Unions withdrew support to Save Our Railways; Lobbying tactics; all Save our Railway documents in the National Railway Museum archive

Jonathan Bray interviewed by Frank Paterson

2021-09-09
Interview with David Allen conducted by Richard Spoors on the 26th of January 2022. Duration 1 hr 49min 45 sec. Early Life; early career; Career in the civil Service; Training with the Ministry of Defence; Costing and Budgetary work; Joins British rail as a Computer Auditor; Training as a Systems Analyst; Moved to Doncaster as Divisional Finance Officer in the Operating Division of the eastern Region; Divisional Finance office structure; meeting Bob Reid; new Role as British railways Board presenter at finance courses; Lecturer at business schools; Government/railway relationships; Public sector Obligation Grant; external financing limits; cost analysis and control; sectorisation; Railtrack; Transmark position in Botswana for 14 months; Role as Corporate Budgets officer in London for all things non-rail; non rail businesses sold off in 1980s; sale of BRB property; Sectorisation and the future of privatisation; development of incremental cost analysis; Director is Finance at Railtrack; development of Railtrack accounting system; problems; Retirement in 1996; Railtrack’s business ethos; Pension Funds; Reflection and conclusion

David Allen interviewed by Richard Spoors

2022-01-26
Second session of Interview with Ian Yeowart conducted by Frank Paterson on the 23rd June 2021 in the National Railway Museum, York. Duration 1hr. 46min. 35 sec. Management Buy Out team for Midland main Line, appeal; National Express Awarded Midland Franchise; redundancy; Management Buy Out bid registered in name of Grand central; Selling to Great north Eastern Railway to Sea Containers; Business plans; BBC information; Go Cart Business in York- Monks Cross; open access opportunities; retained Grand Central name; introduction of first open access service in 2004; development; Arriva; Great North Easten Railway judicial review; Porterbrook HST bought; revenue abstraction claim by GNER disputed; company buy out by Arriva; Later career; comments on current railways.

Ian Yeowart interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 2 of 2)

2021-06-23
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

Martin Shrubsole interviewed by Frank Paterson

2021-07-07
Oral history interview with General Adrian Lyons, conducted and recorded by Richard Malins at the interviewee's home in West Berkshire on 21 March 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 50 min. 30 sec. Army involvement with railways at Longmoor and in Germany; privatisation impact; retirement from Army; joining Railway Forum; Hatfield accident; Great Heck accident interviews; Railway Forum formation; stakeholder involvement; Railtrack collapse; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); Richard Bowker and Tom Winsor relationship; Railway Forum improving industry image; passenger growth; Rail Review 2005; SRA and Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) relationship; abolition of SRA; Network Rail; John Armitt; Iain Coucher; leaving Railway Forum 2006; effects of privatisation; Railway Conversion League; press tactics; Department for Transport (DfT) taking control; retirement; military railways in Germany; military railways; Royal Engineers (RE); cultural similarities between military and railways; technology change; Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS); integration of external technology; Crossrail; management culture change; South West Trains (SWT); Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB); standards to combine theoretical and practical; reflections on accidents; Network Rail

General Adrian Lyons interviewed by Richard Malins

2019-03-21
Interview with Donald Heath (session 2) interviewed by Frank Paterson on the 19th July 2021 at Sutton on Derwent. Duration: 44min 35 sec. Background to his appointment as Director of projects- Development of Project Management Manual; Touche-Ross consultancy review; responsibility for East Coast Main Line Electrification (ECML) ; Provincial Rolling Stock; Channel Tunnel Locomotives; Stanstead Infrastructure; major projects; Changes in project Managers; Accountancy and Passenger Ticket issuing System; story of appointment to ECML project; Devolution of project Managers; Possible Management Buy Out; Crossrail reporting lines; personal opinions.

Donald Heath interviewed by Frank Paterson (Session 2 of 2)

2021-07-19
Interview with Paul Smart conducted by Christopher Mew on the 5th of August 2021 in Twickenham. Duration 7min 28 sec.This interview was conducted in a group with Allan galley and Douglas Downie, please see corresponding interviews. Early career; Operations Manager for Freightliner; Post privatisation service reliability; locomotive use; Bidding process; benefits of privatisation for Freightliner and professional life.

Paul Smart Interviewed by Christopher Mew

2021-08-05
Oral history interview with Simon Linnett, conducted and recorded by Philip Benham at the interviewee's office in London on 17 September 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 12 min. 55 sec. Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister); privatisation; working as Director of Rothschild investment bank; rail privatisation proposals; 1992 Conservative manifesto; lack of government planning; attempt to gain employment as a Director of British Railways (BR); Rothschild advising on BR privatisation; BR preferred privatisation option; impact of EC Directive 91/440; Treasury Department philosophy; importance of Philip Rutnam (Civil Servant); privatisation structure; Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); creation of Railtrack; Rothschild advising Railtrack; valuation of assets; determining access charges; Thameslink 2000; Railtrack finances; performance regime; possessions regime; open access operators; cost of operating performance regime; order of privatisations; impact of 1997 General Election; prospect of re-nationalisation; investment prospectus drafting; working as lead advisor to Railtrack; Bob Horton; John Edmonds; reasons for not taking a job in rail industry; Gerald Corbett; role of Rail Regulator; John Swift; effectiveness of privatisation structure; reasons to reintegrate rolling stock and infrastructure; Rothschild advising Railtrack post-privatisation; major rail accidents; Railtrack collapse; Network Rail; challenges of privatisation; Privatisation Delivery Group (PDG)

Simon Linnett interviewed by Philip Benham

2018-09-17
Oral history interview with James Collins, conducted and recorded by Chris Kinchin-Smith at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, London on 14 January 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 24 min. 55 sec. Personal background; early career; Traffic Management Training Scheme 1977; Area Manager Plymouth 1984; sectorisation; Personal Assistant to Bob Reid 1 1987; involvement with Clapham accident; vertical integration; Director Thameslink train operating unit (TOU); Network SouthEast (NSE); general election 1992; privatisation; Thameslink 2000; John Nelson; Informed Traveller project; National Rail Enquiries Service (NRES); management buyout (MBO) bid; British Telecom (BT); joined Railtrack; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL); Thameslink 2000; East London Line (ELL) upgrade; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); proposal to increase franchise terms; Railtrack’s relationship with customers; focus on share price; investment; Thameslink performance since privatisation; GoVia; First Group; personal impact of privatisation; reflections

James Collins interviewed by Chris Kinchin-Smith

2019-01-14
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

2020-09-22
Oral history interview with Georgia Ehrmann, conducted and recorded by David Maidment at the interviewee's office in Avanti offices, London on 18 December 2019. Duration: 50 min. 47 sec. Childhood interest in railways; Chiltern Railways internship; Oxford Cowley branch feasibility report; permanent post in same team; customer engagement using Twitter; comparison with British Rail (BR) management training; Network Development Manager 2015/6; Track Access Manager Northern Rail April 2016; Leeds Institute for Transport Studies course; planning Northern Rail timetable change 2018; need for a whole system view over capacity; Head of Commercial Timetable Strategy Virgin Trains 2018; commercial and operating departments interface; complexity of commercial world and timetable needs; Class 220 Voyager replacement strategy 2022; reflections

Georgia Ehrmann interviewed by David Maidment

2019-12-18
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

2018-04-30
Oral history interview with Nick Brown, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's office in London on 21 August 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 32 min. 38 sec. Early career; Assistant Station Manager Edinburgh Waverley; Polmont accident; Glasgow Central Station Manager; Chris Green; station music; Birmingham International; John Prideaux; sectorisation tensions; Retail Manager West Midlands; Leadership 500; privatisation; InterCity advert; Association of Train Operating Companies; management buyout (MBO) workshops; Richard Brown; Midland Mainline (MML) MBO; British Railways Board (BRB) support; Genesis 125; Paul King; bid progress; access agreements; penalty regimes; liaison with other MBO teams; meetings; Ernst & Young; competitors; franchise awarded to National Express; organisational culture and structure; financial arrangements with National Express; customer service initiatives; staff training; Railtrack; culture; track access process; developing company image; toilet provision; family marketing; market analysis; reflections

Nick Brown interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-08-21
Oral history interview with Peter Field, conducted and recorded by Theo Steel at the interviewee's home in Surrey on 8 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 24 min. 20 sec. Personal background; early career; Assistant Station Manager Liverpool Street; area management; working with Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF); Gordon Pettitt; industrial relations changes; Network Director Eastern Liverpool Street; Chris Green; transfer of responsibilities from Regions; King's Lynn and Royston – Cambridge electrification scheme approvals; Operations Manager British Rail: Southern Region; splitting region; vertical integration; John Nelson; Organising for Quality (OfQ); preparation for privatisation; culture change; early years of Railtrack; John Edmonds (Chief Executive Officer Railtrack); contrast between management buyout (MBO) bid and Stagecoach bid; MBO team; exposing London, Tilbury & Southend (LTS) ticket fraud; rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); Stagecoach; BR forecasting issues; move into consultancy; joined Transport for London (TfL) as Rail Strategy Director; political issues; difficulties with train operating companies (TOCs) and lack of Mayoral control; fare evasion levels in TOCs; North London line to TfL and expansion; structuring of TfL concessions; retirement

Peter Field interviewed by Theo Steel

2018-05-08
Oral history interview with Dick Keegan, conducted by Frank Paterson in London on the 18th November 2021. Duration 57min. 08 sec. Early career; Kings Cross Development; Kings Cross Parliamentary Bill; Channel Tunnel terminal process and decisions; 1992 Director projects; Staffing at Management Buy Out; Expanding professions skills; Bid to Buy Transmark rejected; development of stand alone business; vendor unit support level; Rejected Bids; Department of Transport directed BRB to accept the offer; Company structure; Operational Research Staff salary directives; Business sold to Peter Watson Group; Personal views; Consultancy Business specialising in rail Infrastructure.

Dick Keegan interviewed by Frank Paterson

2021-11-18
Video oral history interview with Richard Morris, conducted and recorded remotely by Neil Butters on Zoom video conferencing platform, on 8 March 2022. Duration: 51 minutes 18 seconds. Education; family history; holiday jobs; other job applications; training school Derby; [00:05:00] Tinsley marshalling yard Sheffield; review of board operations; punctuality at Liverpool St; move to Eurotunnel; [00:10:00] Privatisation, enthusiasm for privatisation; cannot sever train from track; no-one in charge; spoke to John Major; guards story; [00:15:00] negotiations on Channel Tunnel; issues with Bob Reid 1; freight through the tunnel; engineering in tunnel; simulator; impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on traffic; [00:20:00] approach to take over a Train Operating Company (TOC); financial challenges; privatisation antagonistic at higher levels; a lot of investment with privatisation; [00:25:00] electrification to Bath; first franchise to Chiltern was 20 years giving time to expand; later franchises were 7-8 years which were not so good; fire in Eurotunnel; [00:30:00] interview with Adrian Shooter; fire at Marylebone signal box; staff entrants in 1970’s; Bristol signal Box; [00:35:00] after organisation dividing it now looks like it is coming together; Romney Hythe and Dymchurch safety; after privatisation no-one in charge; accidents at Clapham and Potters Bar; lessons from other countries; Finland and Melbourne; [00:40:00] Delay Attribution Board, who was responsible for delays; Williams report; representative of TOC’s and Railtrack; Schedule 8; driven by money not by pride; [00:45:00] future of Delay Attribution Board, unique to UK; involvement in safety on Romney Hythe and Dymchurch; [00:50:00] TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) [00:51:18] [end of interview]

Richard Morris interviewed by Neil Butters

2022-03-08
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

2018-03-23
Oral history interview with Peter Forbes, conducted and recorded by Richard Spoors at the interviewee's home in Wiltshire on 5 June 2018. Duration: 55 min. 15 sec. Early career; Senior Technical Officer (STO) Swansea; Area Civil Engineer Preston; sectorisation; Civil Engineer Regional Railways; creation of Railtrack; creating Railtrack Zone boundaries; British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); separation of renewals and maintenance; Western Infrastructure Maintenance Unit (Western IMU) management buyout (MBO); privatisation of BRIS; leading MBO; relationship with Railtrack; Amey; Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE); new transport fleet; Amey buyout of MBO team; retirement

Peter Forbes interviewed by Richard Spoors

2018-06-05
Oral history interview with Hugh Fenwick, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the interviewee's home in North Yorkshire on 1 May 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 4 min. 42 sec. Early career; British Rail Civil Engineering Training Scheme; delegated responsibility and authority; secondment to Doncaster District Engineer 1977; development of Concrete Bridge Design (CBDES) computer programme; designing route for Selby Diversion; land purchase; Resident Engineer for Selby Diversion 1980; Outside Parties Bridge Section Regional Civil Engineer’s Office York 1984; ambitions; role and responsibilities of Works Engineer; East Coast Main Line (ECML) electrification; Organising for Quality (OfQ); changes due to sectorisation; Drawing Office Planning and Control System (DOPACS); renaming of Design Department to York Engineering Services (YES); Self-Accounting Unit (SAU); Leadership 5000; Quality Accreditation BS5750; transfer of civil engineering staff to sectors 1991-1992; employment of consultants; Total Business Management (TBM); re-organisation; realignment of YES; new industry structure; profits made from contracts with sectors; computer aided design (CAD); reporting lines; AD Little consultants; reaction of British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); consideration of management buyout (MBO); working with Railtrack; British Rail Vendor Unit; becoming a limited company; Civil Engineering Design Group (CEDG) Ltd.; British Steel as owners of CEDG; Managing Director British Steel CEDG; success; bids; role; reflections on privatisation process; sectorisation; effects of privatisation; Railtrack/Network Rail issues; vertical integration; effect on personal life

Hugh Fenwick interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2018-05-01
Oral history interview with Tim Stubbs, conducted and recorded by Brian Clementson at the interviewee's home in Burton-on-Trent on 2 March 2020. Duration: 38 min. 49 sec. Early career; engineering roles; move to training and development; Personnel Manager for rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) 1994; post-privatisation career; creating of graduate scheme for ROSCOs; British Rail (BR) arrangements for graduate engineers; allocation of graduate engineers to private companies; train engineering service companies (TESCOs) in-house accredited schemes; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) training scheme; Railtrack’s role in graduate training; professional engineering institutions co-operation with new industry; creation of ATOC training scheme; TOC involvement; reflections on career; effects of privatisation

Tim Stubbs interviewed by Brian Clementson

2020-03-02
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

2019-03-06
Oral history interview with Stuart Baker, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session 1) at the interviewee's home in York on 28 November 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 20 min. 5 sec. Career overview; Shift Supervisor Barrow Hill; Total Operations Processing System (TOPS); Relief Manager Preston; Shift Duty Station Manager York; InterCity East Coast; open stations implementation; role of sector and Eastern Region; Prime User concept; Parcels sun-sector; Simon Frazer and Dr John Prideaux (Director InterCity); British Rail (BR) Charter Train business; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Lockington accident; Retail Manager Regional Railways North East (RRNE); passenger transport executives (PTEs); improving station quality; Robert Urie; Mike Hodson; direct reports; Railtrack; track access agreement; train operating units (TOUs) set-up; Paul King; safety case; Ais Gill accident; signalling strike; Railtrack and Safety Case Validation Audit; Regional Railways North East (RRNE) management buyout (MBO) team; Ian Yeowatt; Mersey Travel Ltd. (MTL) bid successful; RRNE last to be franchised; PTEs

Stuart Baker interviewed by David Wharton-Street (session 1 of 3)

2018-11-28
Oral history interview with Raymond Price conducted and recorded by Philip Benham in York on 2 August 2018. Duration: 4 hr. 59 min. 38 sec. Early career; Performance Manager King’s Cross; performance of Great Northern (GN) electrics following driver only operation (DOO) and industrial relations tensions; Area Operations Manager; Organising for Quality (OfQ); sectorisation; privatisation process and phasing; separation of track and trains; Railtrack senior management; Performance Manager West Anglia & Great Northern (WAGN); management down-sizing for privatisation; Railtrack signalling strike; track access agreements; Railtrack East Coast Main Line Route Rationalisation programme; Network Change provisions; preparation of WAGN for privatisation; limited productivity opportunities; WAGN driver re-structuring; trade union attitudes to privatisation; Associated Society of Locomotive Enginemen & Firemen (ASLEF); Rail Maritime & Transport Union (RMT); reasons for WAGN driver re-structuring failure; working on Heathrow Express project; recruitment to Railtrack; Michael Holden; train operating company (TOC) concerns about condition of infrastructure; appointment as Zone Director 1999; Winning is Green; West Anglia Route Modernisation scheme (WARM); relationships with TOC management; performance budget use; Rail Regulator as real Railtrack customer; Southall accident; Paddington accident; Ladbroke Grove accident; signals passed at danger (SPADs) management; Hatfield accident; gauge causing cracking (GCC); replacement of GCC rails; legacy of GCC on Railtrack; safety culture change; relationships with other bodies such as Health & Safety Executive (HSE); Managing Director (MD) Arriva Trains Northern (ATN); passenger transport executives (PTEs); franchise takeover; ATN driver shortage; relationship with Strategic Rail Authority (SRA); RMT conductors dispute; Class 333 issues; differences between Railtrack/Network Rail and TOCs; Northern timetable crisis 2018; successes of ATN; skills gap; Northern franchise shape; Managing Director Arriva Trains 2003; industry structure

Raymond Price interviewed by Philip Benham

2018-08-02
Oral history interview with Stuart Baker, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session 3) at the interviewee's home in York on 12 December 2018. Duration:49 min. 15 sec. Arriva franchise management; disputes process; Part 1 Access Disputes Resolution Committee (ADRC); Part 2 Railway Industry Disputes Resolution Committee (RIDRC); examples of ADRC; Railtrack’s speed restrictions; importance of resolution committees; franchises and rolling stock; open access operators; Regional North East (RRNE) bids; traffic growth

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

2018-12-12
Oral history interview with Christopher Jago, conducted and recorded by Mike Hodson at the interviewee's home in East Sussex on 19 June 2018. Duration: 56 min. 13 sec. Early career; Network SouthEast (NSE); Railtrack; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL); privatisation briefing; proposed structure seen as overly complex; Director of Restructuring; new structure placed excessive demands on engineer staffing; Hatfield accident; Network SouthEast restructuring process; post-privatisation issues; re-branding during privatisation; performance regimes; no incentive for train operating companies (TOCs) to mitigate delay; setting up Railtrack South; benefits of privatisation; NSE budget constraints; Railtrack transition into private ownership; effects of privatisation; Railtrack in Administration; shareholders; CTRL; summary of privatisation

Christopher Jago interviewed by Mike Hodson

2018-06-19
Oral history interview with Peter Newbould, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewee's home in Cambridgeshire on 13 March 2019. Duration: 53 min. 41 sec. Personal background and early career; civil engineering; Network SouthEast (NSE); Thameslink 2000; Franchise Development Manager South West Trains (SWT); Dominic Booth; Peter Field; Michael Holden; Mac Macintosh; Chris Kinchin-Smith; Strathclyde Marketing Manager; Cyril Bleasdale; Chris Green; Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPTE); Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE); management buyout (MBO) team; National Express won franchise; early work with SWT franchise development team; franchise management

Peter Newbould interviewed by Michael Lee

2019-03-13
Oral history interview with David Ward, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 24 January 2020. Duration: 52 min. 34 sec. Career overview; InterCity changes; Class 43 High Speed Train (HST) moved from British Rail: Western Region to Midland Main Line (MML); Special Trains sub-sector; sleepers; Northern Belle; catering vehicles; profit centre remit; Royal Train; Venice-Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) in UK; separation from InterCity 1994; preparation for privatisation; Charles Belcher Managing Director; Cyril Bleasdale; John Prideaux; Chris Green; commendations from customers; sale of Special Trains rolling stock and locomotives to McAlpine/Waterman consortium; Flying Scotsman Enterprises; distribution of assets; retirement; reflections; Adviser to Marchington owner of Flying Scotsman; sale to National Railway Museum (NRM); involvement with Settle & Carlisle Trust

David Ward interviewed by Frank Paterson

2020-01-24
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

2019-04-09
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)

2018-12-04
Oral history interview with David Maidment, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 16 March 2020. Duration: 1 hr. 53 min. 36 sec. Regional Operations Manager British Rail: London Midland Region; reliability; risk assessments; Doug Power (Chief Mechanical Engineer); quality management; Willesden pilot; Clapham Junction rail crash inquiry; David Rayner; safety review; safety culture; 1991 safety plan; human errors impact; signals passed at danger (SPADs); European and international collaboration; As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP); door locking; Sir Bob Reid 2; Health & Safety Executive (HSE); parliamentary review of rail safety; 1993 Railway Act; Railtrack; safety audit; Southall accident; post-privatisation safety risks and culture

David Maidment interviewed by Frank Paterson

2020-03-16
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

2019-06-10
Oral history interview with Adrian Shooter, conducted and recorded by David Maidment (session 2) at the interviewee's home in Oxfordshire on 2 August 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 36. min. 13 sec. Chiltern Trains management team; track access agreements; communication with customers; working with Railtrack; growth potential north of Bicester revenue growth; working with Laing; new rolling stock; safety; Automatic Train Protection (ATP); driver only operation (DOO); Turbostar developments based on Chiltern stock; retaining Princes Risborough–Aylesbury branch; Class 165 refurbishment; asking for a 20 year franchise; Sir Alastair Morton; Birmingham Centro (West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE)); investment for 20 year plan; Railtrack role in infrastructure delivery; selling shares; partnership with SBB (Swiss Railways) for Wessex franchise bid; bid for Thameslink with MTR (Hong Kong); bid for London Overground with London Transport; Chairman M40 Group; changes at Chiltern; Chair Adhesion Group for 15 years; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) Board

Adrian Shooter interviewed by David Maidment (session 2 of 3)

2019-08-02
Oral history interview with John Nelson, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the interviewee's home in York on 23 April 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 1 min. 6 sec. Restructuring Area Managers 1988-89; Anglia Region; Eastern Region changed first to sub-sector; Bob Reid 1; Bob Reid 2; unifying sector resources facilitated privatisation process; abolition of regions; Organising for Quality (OfQ) based on Eastern template; appointed Managing Director Network South East 1992; management responsibility bottom line; external financial limits (EFL) imposed by Treasury; public surveys; Chiltern Railways; general election 1992; unable to persuade politicians; preparation for franchising; access agreements with Railtrack; John Welsby as Chairman/Chief Executive; management buyouts (MBOs); Railtrack flotation; MBO issues; privatisation weakness; personal activities post-privatisation

John Nelson interviewed by Frank Paterson

2018-04-23
Oral history interview with Mike Harvey, conducted and recorded by Philip Benham at the interviewee's home in Redditch on 26 June 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 27 min. 21 sec. Career synopsis; Compagnie Auxiliaire de Chemins de Fer Belge (CAIB); private wagons; Storage & Transport Services UK (STS UK); Traffic Services Ltd. (TSL); takeover of TSL and expansion; purchase of Procor UK 1988; responsibilities in CAIB; Marcroft Engineering customers and contract types; Tiphook and Tiger Rail acquisitions; CAIB philosophy towards legislative change; EC Directive 91/440; Private Wagon Federation (PWF): Chairman Wagon Builders’ & Repairers’ Association; Chairman Association of Private Rail Wagon Operators; private owner wagons operations; 1923 Grouping; Railway Clearing House; private wagon industry representation for privatisation; preparing Railfreight for privatisation; Robert Adley (Member of Parliament); Representations on Railways Bill 1992; privatisation process; Ed Burkhardt (Wisconsin Central); English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS); new industry relationships; vehicle repair and maintenance standards; Rickerscote accident; changes triggered by EWS; rail freight market emergence; Railtrack national distribution business Railtrack contract management

Mike Harvey interviewed by Philip Benham

2019-06-26
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

2019-11-21
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

2019-02-12
Oral history interview with Mark Causebrook, conducted and recorded by Theo Steel at the interviewee's home in Northampton on 17 June 2018. Duration: 3 hr. 4 min. 28 sec. Planning Office British Rail: London Midland Region London Division; Staff Entrant Management Trainee; traffic management; Rocket 150 celebrations; Motorail Kensington Olympia closure; preparing for Thameslink coal management unit; miners' strike; privatisation of subsidiaries; British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL); British Transport Hotels; investigating General Electric (GE) and General Motors (GM) freight locomotives; Regional Railways North East (RRNE); TransPennine; matrix management; John Edmonds (Director Regional Railways); Transport Users Consultative Committee (TUUC); West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE); Class 14x Pacers; stopping single tracking; Settle & Carlisle line closure; Leadership 500; Sector Director Regional Railways Central (RRC); scale of operations; leadership team; staff relationships and pay; vertical integration; opinions on RRC; Class 158; 1992 election; separation of track and trains; profit centres; train operating units (TOUs); privatisation process; First Group and National Express bids; Centro/West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE); Dean Finch; National Express Central bid cost reductions; Passenger Service Requirement (PSR); Railtrack/Network Rail; National Express finances; joining Go Ahead; Thameslink; London Bridge issues; work with First Class Partnerships (FCP); rolling stock companies (ROSCOs)

Mark Causebrook interviewed by Theo Steel

2018-06-17
Oral history interview with Christopher Austin, conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson at the National Railway Museum, York on 13 August 2019. Duration: 1 hr. 18 min. 32 sec. Early work with London Transport; Parliamentary Affairs Manager 1987; remit; correspondence with politicians; evidence to Select Committees; Robert Adley; Peter Snape; Gwyneth Dunwoody; sectors; politician’s issues; contacts and access to politicians; promotion of railway private bills; Peter Snape; briefing for debates; weekly analysis of potential issues; relationships with civil servants; private bills second readings; political party conferences; Adam Smith Institute; Transport 2000; Railway Bill; second reading February 1993; separation of track from trains; Railtrack sale; scrutiny process; House of Lords process; railway pensions and travel facilities; British Railways Board (BRB) excluded from bidding for train operating companies (TOCs); personal impact; London, Tilbury and Southend (LTS) ticket fraud; John Welsby weekly meetings; Bob Reid 2

Christopher Austin interviewed by Frank Paterson

2019-08-13
Oral history interview with Christopher Bolt, conducted and recorded by Christopher Austin on 3 July 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 19 min. 43 sec. Early career; founding of Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR); regulation; privatisation model shortcomings; Railtrack shortcomings; franchising; roles of the Regulator; incentive models; Subsidies; political influence on ORR; John Swift (Rail Regulator); public sector collaboration; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) shortcomings; ORR management structure; Chief Economist responsibilities; time as Interim Regulator; Tom Winsor; Informed Traveller project; Adviser to Transport Select Committee; Gwyneth Dunwoody (Member of Parliament); Railtrack collapse; Metronet collapse; Passenger Upgrade 2 (PUG 2); Network Rail; rebrand to Office of Rail Regulation (ORR); resolution of T-12 problem; effects of unexpected industry growth; rail freight problems; Network Rail asset management shortcomings; rail safety responsibilities; Greyrigg accident

Christopher Bolt interviewed by Christopher Austin

2018-07-03
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

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)

2019-05-23