25 years since rail privatisation - BBC South Today

[PTR 444]

For anyone interested, there’s a report on tonight’s BBC South bulletin at 6:30 documenting the highs and lows of Britain’s railways since privatisation 25 years ago. It was on at lunchtime and is well worth a watch.

 

[yorksrob]

That was a nice little tiptoe through history.

Can't believe it's been 25 years !

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That was a nice little tiptoe through history.
Can't believe it's been 25 years !

The Big 4 only lasted 25 years (and a big chunk of that was under government control).

 

[yorksrob]

The Big 4 only lasted 25 years (and a big chunk of that was under government control).

Yes, considering that was arguably the golden age of the railway, it didn't last very long !

 

[Peter C]

I just saw this and thought it was really quite good; interesting to see the footage of the slam-door stock being broken up (Connex Class 421?) and some footage of the first SWT service. I'll admit I did spend my time watching it trying to work out the stock shown in each shot!

-Peter

 

[popeter45]

what was the first service to run offically as a private TOC and what was the last to run offically as a BR service?
i assume they must have been in a similar spirit as when a old class is retired?

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

First private TOC service was 05:10 Twickenham to London Waterloo on 4/2/96.
Last BR operated passenger service was Waverley- Euston sleeper on 31/3/97. The last BR operated service was a Railfreight Distribution service during Autumn 1997

This does not take into account the operation of ‘private sector’ locos in the BR era. Foster Yeoman introduced their Class 59s in 1986, although I believe these were crewed by BR staff. Hunslet Barclay had class 20s on weed killing trains, but I can’t remember who crewed them.

The first passenger service to be privatised was the Vale of Rhiedol Line in 1989.

Stagecoach also had their own carriages included in BR sleeper services prior to privatisation.

 

[pdeaves]

The first passenger service to be privatised was the Vale of Rhiedol Line in 1989.

Like many things with railway history, that depends on how you want to define things. The Paignton & Dartmouth line in 1972 was a sale of a working railway. In fact, for the first two months BR ran the service on the P&DR's behalf. It was originally intended as a working line with scheduled public services, becoming more 'heritage' later on. I am sure there are other examples.

 

[A0wen]

The Big 4 only lasted 25 years (and a big chunk of that was under government control).

Though the GWR was really a major player from the early days - it had about 500 miles added to its 3000 route miles at grouping, so that was more a takeover by the GWR than a merger in the way the others were.

 

[Inversnecky]

Still remember the early insanity of it: at Waverley station, instead of one list property office, you had one for the station, one for the TOCs...

Let alone photos of diesels on articulated lorries being taken to the depot for repair, because it was cheaper to send them by road than to ‘rent’ time on the rails.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Yes, considering that was arguably the golden age of the railway, it didn't last very long !

LOL! Yes. Still hard to believe it was 25 years ago.

 

[Bald Rick]

Let alone photos of diesels on articulated lorries being taken to the depot for repair, because it was cheaper to send them by road than to ‘rent’ time on the rails.

In many cases, cheaper to stick them on the back of a low loader driven by a bloke on £15 an hour than to find a loco, it’s diesel, and a driver on £40/hr.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

First private TOC service was 05:10 Twickenham to London Waterloo on 4/2/96.
Last BR operated passenger service was Waverley- Euston sleeper on 31/3/97. The last BR operated service was a Railfreight Distribution service during Autumn 1997
This does not take into account the operation of ‘private sector’ locos in the BR era. Foster Yeoman introduced their Class 59s in 1986, although I believe these were crewed by BR staff. Hunslet Barclay had class 20s on weed killing trains, but I can’t remember who crewed them.
The first passenger service to be privatised was the Vale of Rhiedol Line in 1989.
Stagecoach also had their own carriages included in BR sleeper services prior to privatisation.

Public sector operation never quite vanished, as DRS (then owned by BNFL and now the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) took over nuclear traffic from BR and has been in in public hands throughout.

 

[387star]

First private TOC service was 05:10 Twickenham to London Waterloo on 4/2/96.
Last BR operated passenger service was Waverley- Euston sleeper on 31/3/97. The last BR operated service was a Railfreight Distribution service during Autumn 1997

This does not take into account the operation of ‘private sector’ locos in the BR era. Foster Yeoman introduced their Class 59s in 1986, although I believe these were crewed by BR staff. Hunslet Barclay had class 20s on weed killing trains, but I can’t remember who crewed them.

The first passenger service to be privatised was the Vale of Rhiedol Line in 1989.

Stagecoach also had their own carriages included in BR sleeper services prior to privatisation.

The 05:10 Twickenham to Waterloo on 4/2/96 was a 455? I read in a magazine it was a slammer but I don't think that was the case.

South West Trains started very poorly but ended as one of the best TOCS routinely turning out trains in very good condition and delivering quality refurbishments.

 

[theironroad]

For anyone interested, there’s a report on tonight’s BBC South bulletin at 6:30 documenting the highs and lows of Britain’s railways since privatisation 25 years ago. It was on at lunchtime and is well worth a watch.

Was interesting piece.

Just a reminder, these news episodes only stay on iPlayer for 24 hours.

 

[midland1]

The 25 years were not the golden age they were the years before ww1. The years between the wars were very had for the railways with much traffic lost to roads. You could well say it was the golden years for the steam locos though.

 

[theironroad]

The 05:10 Twickenham to Waterloo on 4/2/96 was a 455? I read in a magazine it was a slammer but I don't think that was the case.

South West Trains started very poorly but ended as one of the best TOCS routinely turning out trains in very good condition and delivering quality refurbishments.

455 and there's footage in the piece shown tonight.

 

[Inversnecky]

Was interesting piece.

Just a reminder, these news episodes only stay on iPlayer for 24 hours.

Can anyone please give a link?

 

[popeter45]

Can anyone please give a link?

BBC One - South Today, Evening News, 04/02/2021

The latest news, sport and weather for the South of England.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

The 05:10 Twickenham to Waterloo on 4/2/96 was a 455? I read in a magazine it was a slammer but I don't think that was the case.

It was a 455. 5709 shown on the BBC South link above ( starts at 10:45 into the programme)

 

[Mag_seven]

A lot of people think that Railtrack was already a private entity when the first privatised TOC started - in fact Railtrack wasn't floated on the Stock Exchange until May of that year (1996).

 

[Poolie]

In many cases, cheaper to stick them on the back of a low loader driven by a bloke on £15 an hour than to find a loco, it’s diesel, and a driver on £40/hr.

Workers of the world unite!!!

 

[pdeaves]

A lot of people think that Railtrack was already a private entity when the first privatised TOC started - in fact Railtrack wasn't floated on the Stock Exchange until May of that year (1996).

It was a separate legal entity wholly owned by the government (not a BR subsidiary) from April 1994 but, as you say, not sold off for a couple of years. So whether it was 'a private entity' depends on whether they really mean 'independent of BR'.

 

[Inversnecky]

BBC One - South Today, Evening News, 04/02/2021

The latest news, sport and weather for the South of England.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thanks, just managed to see before it expired.

Always sad to see old trains scrapped...

 

[Peter C]

Thanks, just managed to see before it expired.

Always sad to see old trains scrapped...

I thought that footage was really quite interesting. I was also quite surprised that the item was as long as it was; I was expecting it to be a short little thing. I quite like Paul Clifton's stuff on South Today - he seems to know his stuff.

-Peter

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks, just managed to see before it expired.

Always sad to see old trains scrapped...

Especially a CIG !

 

[Bald Rick]

I quite like Paul Clifton's stuff on South Today - he seems to know his stuff.

He does, and he’s a nice guy too.

 

[Romsey]

The 05:10 Twickenham to Waterloo on 4/2/96 was a 455? I read in a magazine it was a slammer but I don't think that was the case.

South West Trains started very poorly but ended as one of the best TOCS routinely turning out trains in very good condition and delivering quality refurbishments.

It was a Strawberry Hill starter so was almost certainly a 455.
I wasn't aware the weekend was going to be historic when I did the engineering works train plan, which went to press some weeks beforehand.

 

[Peter C]

He does, and he’s a nice guy too.

Ah lovely - I've never met him but that's definitely the impression he gives.

-Peter

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Thanks, just managed to see before it expired.

Always sad to see old trains scrapped...

*Grabs chest*