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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 Donald Jary, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the interviewee's home in Carlisle on 18 September 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 43 min. 15 sec. Early career; rationalisation of divisions; sectorisation; liaising with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) and Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE); Greater Manchester Council (GMC); Lancashire Country Council; Cheshire County Council; Chris Stokes; John Edmonds; Provincial North West interfaces; Service Group Manager Northern Provincial Eastern; David Wharton-Street; Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive; introduction of Pacers; problems led to low availability; reporting lines; station and service improvements; Maryport; Sellafield station funded by British Nuclear Fuels (BNF); Metrocentre; relationships with Cumbria County Council; reorganisation of London Midland Region Area Managers; proposed Settle & Carlisle line closure; relationships; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Total Quality Manager Regional Railways North West (RRNW); Chris Leah; Total Quality Management (TQM) Leadership 500; Leadership 5000; Occupational Health & Safety Act; Health & Safety at Work Act; Environmental Protection Act; implications of privatisation legislation on RRNW; creation of Train Operating Units (TOUs) from 1994; Railways (Safety Case) Regulations 1994; role as Policy Advisor to the TOU Director; Disabled Persons Protection Policy; interface with PTEs; Railtrack stations and station licenses; interfaces with other TOUs; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); member of British Railways Board (BRB) Safety Validation Panel; Terry Worrall (Director of Safety); joining Department for Transport (DfT)’s Advisory Group on Rail Accessibility; North West Trains (NWT); Great Western Holdings; trade union reactions; Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF); geographical and service changes after privatisation; Merseyrail Electrics; First Group purchase of Great Western Holdings; franchises contiguous with NWT; First Group and management of NWT; new roles; South Manchester modernisation scheme; industry co-operation; introduction of new rolling stock; re-alignment of franchises; franchise bids 2004; Abellio Northern Rail customer service improvements; combining North West and North East franchises into Northern Rail; TransPeninne; track access agreement; Abellio train service improvements; ticketing; ATOC; ticket gates; European Foundation for Quality Management; involvement in Abellio bidding teams; Stakeholder Manager; Publicity Officer Cumbria Railways Association; Director of Settle & Carlisle Development Company; benefits of sectorisation; alternatives to privatisation; experience of managers; infrastructure management; Railtrack/Network Rail project overruns

Donald Jary interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2019-09-18
Oral history interview with Robert Urie, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the National Railway Museum, York on 12 April 2018. Duration: 1 hr. 4 min. 30 sec. Role as Infrastructure Project Director; appointment to Director Regional Railways North East (RRNE); track access agreement; RRNE steps towards privatisation; RRNE Directors' meeting; Mersey Travel Limited (MTL); formation of Railtrack in 1994; Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and rail safety; Association of Train Operating Companies [ATOC] and role; RRNE responsibilities; RRNE management buyout (MBO) team; progress towards privatisation; new rail initiatives; safety within RRNE; train service initiatives; safety within train operating unit (TOU) and train operating company (TOC); transfer of franchise to MTL; Passenger Transport Executives’ attitude to an external franchise; creation of Railtrack and British Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS); rolling stock companies (ROSCOs); feelings on privatisation; benefits to public of privatisation

Robert Urie interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2018-04-12
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

2018-04-09
Oral history interview with Theo Steel, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the interviewee's home in Southend on 17 April 2018. Duration: 2 hr. 35 min. 24 sec. Career to 1988; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL); Eurorail; appointment as Director to Regional Railways South Wales and West (RRSW&W); bidding process for Class 158 1990; delegated authorities from Regional Railways Headquarters; direct reports and roles; Regional Railways Profitability Study; interface with other sectors; Cardiff Valleys passenger services; new stations; changes caused by formation of Railtrack 1994; privatisation white paper 1992; track access agreement; separation of South Wales from RRSW&W into a separate Company; management of fares structure; Rail Safety Case 1994; attitude of staff to privatisation; London and Continental Railways (L&CR); CTRL Bid with Societe nationale des chemins de fer Francais (SNCF); Eurostar loadings and effect on finances; Virgin successful bid for West Coast; European Night Services; North London Line electrification for Eurostar; L&CR restructuring; First Great Eastern Franchise; First Group; track access; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); amalgamation of all Anglia into one Franchise; Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) role; National Express Anglia; personal effects of privatisation; changes in industry since 1991

Theo Steel interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2018-04-17
Oral history interview with David Wharton-Street, conducted and recorded by Michael Lee at the interviewer's home in Hertfordshire on 28 June 2019. Duration: 3 hr. 38 min. 43 sec. Early career; Acting Director Regional Railways North East (RRNE) 1990; British Railways Board Safety Department 1993; Safety & Standards Department; Railtrack secondment 1994; sectorisation; proposed closure of Settle & Carlisle line 1993; DalesRail trains deal; Friends of Settle & Carlisle; management of Settle & Carlisle route; Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Service (ORCATS); Accountancy and Passenger Ticket Issuing System (APTIS); Portable Operated Ticket Issuing System (PORTIS); Class 47; Class 15x Sprinters; Ribblehead Viaduct repair; closure process; infrastructure maintenance issues; Hellifield signalbox; Serpell Report; Bob Reid 1; Jim O’Brien; Settle & Carlisle put up for sale; West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE); closure situation overview development of ORCATS; Computer Analysis of Passenger Revenue Information System (CAPRI); Monopolies & Mergers Commission (M&MC); Profit Planning & Cost Centre Analysis (PP&CCA); Accounting and Expenditure Information System (AXIS); development of Sector Accounting and Monitoring System (SPAMS); Local Vehicle Record System (LOVERS); Rail Vehicle Record System (RAVERS); sectorisation and structural change; Frank Paterson; David Rayner; RRNE management team; Mark Causebrook; David Prescott; Charles Devereux; Don Jary; RRNE after Organising for Quality (OfQ); Track Access Development Team; electrification; track cost allocation; financial penalties; prime user; costing; privatisation and timescales; safety; Safety Critical Staff Protocol

David Wharton-Street interviewed by Michael Lee

2019-06-28
Oral history interview with Aidan Nelson, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street at the interviewee's home near York on 4 April 2018. Duration: 3 hr. 13 min. 25 sec. Early career; Market Research Officer York 1979; level of market knowledge; Regional Railways relationship with British Railways Board (BRB); Open Stations Project Manager; Railfreight Construction; Railfreight Organising for Quality (OfQ) bid; safety panel with John Edmonds; impact of Clapham accident; appointed Director of Regional Railways North East; movement of functions into sectors; transition from regional structure; meeting with John MacGregor; relationship with Gordon Pettitt and Jim Cornell (Directors of Regional Railways); TransPennine Express upgrade; move to Railtrack; Railtrack planning; Railtrack North East Zone safety validation straightforward; Railtrack property relationships; focus shift to infrastructure; Railtrack first day; introducing management to employees; focus on actions within sphere of influence; focus on train performance 1994-1995; encouraging staff investment in Railtrack 1996; appointment to Railtrack safety organisation; Line Safety achievements; Walking the Safety Case course; safety induction process for Directors 1997; David Rayner (Director Safety and Standards Directorate) concerns; safety briefing with Gerald Corbett; departure from Line Safety; responsibilities; annual signals passed at danger (SPAD) management conferences; development of Safety Plans; Railtrack challenge to Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 notice; distancing S&SD from operations; open reporting of safety performance; Safety Plans; involvement with Channel Tunnel; rolling stock acceptance process; setting-up independent railway safety organisation; European integration; work in North America; detachment of Railway Safety from Railtrack 2002; Impact of uncertainty on personal life; RSSB research organisation set-up; concern over continuity in standards; disaggregation of standards; personal thoughts on privatisation; understanding of railways as system

Aidan Nelson interviewed by David Wharton-Street

2018-04-04
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 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 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
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 Michael Lee, conducted and recorded by David Wharton-Street (session1) at the interviewee's home in Hertfordshire on 15 May 2019. Duration: 2 hr. 53 min. 12 sec. Early career; Operational Research; British Rail Engineering Inventory Control; traffic forecasting for small bore version of Channel Tunnel; development and implementation of Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services (ORCATS); sectorisation made possible; Serpell Report; challenged by British Rail (BR); forecasting passenger train loadings and revenue; introduction of Class 43 High Speed train (HST); Age of the Train advertising; InterCity service modelling; move to Network SouthEast (NSE) as Economic Survey Officer; change in passenger loadings; London and South East travelcards; Central London Rail Study; Thameslink; Crossrail; Monopolies & Mergers Commission (M&MC) inquiry into NSE; monitoring passenger satisfaction; second inquiry; Service Route Manager; negotiating with Southern Region management who delivered service; interface between General Manager Southern Region and NSE; Organising for Quality (OfQ); Sub-Sector Planning & Marketing Manager; Head of Strategic Planning NSE; train operating units (TOUs); Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF); structure; liaison with BR and Department for Transport (DfT); development of Passenger Service Requirement (PSR) policy; Save Our Railways; passenger transport executives (PTEs); fares regulation; Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC); Rail Settlement Plan (RSP); fares and franchising; subsidy; types of franchise bidders

Michael Lee interviewed by David Wharton Street (session 1 of 2)

2019-05-15
Oral history interview with Pauline Coldrick conducted and recorded by Frank Paterson on 31 January 2019 (session 2) at the interviewee's home. Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes. [Track 01] Bert Gemmell, Chief Passenger Manager, York British Rail Headquarters, organisation, public relations [00:01:49] [end of track 01] [Track 02] Passenger Department organisation, marketing (Len Jarvis), sales (Colin Hogg), market research and finance (Ken Westerby), budgeting, use of external consultants, surveying passenger trains, publicity campaigns, renewing image of British Rail (BR); [00:03:35] BR television advertising, external contractors, beginning of TransPennine Express train, Ken Dodds, Bridlington-Scarborough; [00:06:40] mood and working conditions in Passenger Department, equipment, typewriter allocation by hierarchy, content typed; [00:08:40] Bert Gemmell (BG) dictation story; [00:10:45] Eastern Region catering committee, BG opened a restaurant in a railway carriage 1978, The Sidings; [00:13:20] BG’s departure, PC’s relationship with BG, secretary grade glass ceiling; [00:16:05] PC volunteering with the police in spare time, Colin Hogg BR Eastern Region representative on York Crime Prevention Committee, taking meeting minutes for Crime Prevention Committee and Drug Addiction Panel; [00:18:40] Colin Driver, new Chief Passenger Manager, regrading application into management, no support from trade union, LDC trade union representatives attitude to secretaries, 1979, general attitude towards women in BR; [00:23:45] relationship between secretaries, seniority respect, personal ambitions, enjoying work; [00:26:15] typing pool camaraderie, relationships; , Christmas dinners, annual office outings, benefits, how trips were organised, example of outings; [00:29:40] changes with Colin Driver, PC skills development; Len Jarvis resigned, Bert Reynolds replaced him; [00:32:10] Customer Care Panels, Disabled Passenger Panel, origins and panel composition, 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons, campaign by Colin Driver, Viscount Ingleby, Baroness Masham, Barbara Parker, Bill Rodgers, Bill Buchanan, Donald Dempsey, contribution of panel members, meetings at the House of Lords; [00:37:55] Valerie Stewart, market research; [00:38:45] Colin Driver promoted, replaced by Fergus Gibson, then Ivor Warburton (IW); differences between different Chief Passenger Managers, personalities, reputations; relationship with IW; [00:44:25] Norman Blackstock replaced Ivor Warburton as Passenger Manager, changes not impacting PC; [00:46:30] how PC addressed managers, using surnames, changes throughout career, personal views, how other staff addressed managers; [00:48:10] sectorisation 1986, new promotion, Carol Bustard was manager [00:49:15] [end of track 02] [Track 03] sectorisation of passenger department, promotion to Provincial; relationship with Norman Blackstock; BR new job opportunities with sectorisation, committee matching people and job, Norman Blackstock replaced by Carol Bustard; PC moved to Provincial, manager was David Wharton-Street, relationship with David Wharton-Street; difficult time in BR, job insecurity, redundancy rumours; [00:05:00] PC was External Liaisons Manager in Provincial, liaising with Transport Users Consultative Committee (TUCC), county councils, closures and openings of stations, miscellaneous role, Provincial sponsoring athletes, little job satisfaction; [00:08:00] new re-organisation, enjoyed the work atmosphere, lack of challenges in work, example work on Settle-Carlisle line closure preparation, computerisation, first computers in offices; [00:10:45] retirement 1989; various voluntary work for charities and police, appointed to board of the Railway Housing Association, history of Railway Housing Association, changes in governance, scale of activities, professional management [00:18:30] [end of track 03] [end of interview]

Pauline Coldrick interviewed by Frank Paterson (session 2 of 2)

2019-01-31