What was the network called between "British Rail" and "National Rail"?

[sadgit]

Random trivia question... I noticed at Liverpool Street the other week that above the entrance to the Central line was a sign describing the platforms as the "Railtrack platforms" which I had never seen anywhere else, and it made me wonder. Obviously British Rail ceased to be as a brand in 1994, and National Rail the brand only came into being in about 2000, so what was the network overall described as in the intervening period? Was it just called "the train network" or something?

 

[thenorthern]

The British Rail name started to disappear from 1994 as you say but the brand British Rail didn't go from passenger trains fully until 1997 and British Rail itself still existed until 2001 and there was still a legal British Rail entity until 2013.

The timetables were branded as Great Britain Passenger Railway Timetables between 1994 and 1999 but I think the network itself though didn't have a particular brand name between those years.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Random trivia question... I noticed at Liverpool Street the other week that above the entrance to the Central line was a sign describing the platforms as the "Railtrack platforms" which I had never seen anywhere else, and it made me wonder. Obviously British Rail ceased to be as a brand in 1994, and National Rail the brand only came into being in about 2000, so what was the network overall described as in the intervening period? Was it just called "the train network" or something?

Railtrack was a privatised part of British Rail that maintained track. After serious accidents in was re-nationalised and renamed Network Rail.

 

[sadgit]

RailTrack was a privatised part of British Rail that maintained track. After serious accidents in was re-nationalised and renamed Network Rail.

Well aware of that which is why it seemed bizarre for London Underground to be advertising the LST platforms as the "Railtrack platforms" (especially around 14 years after Railtrack became Network Rail... although I believe Amersham still refers to "British Rail" on its signage...)

 

[yorkie]

There does appear to have been a short period without a strong brand name for the network.

This was clearly a big mistake and led to the problem described, where presumably LU were reluctant to name the current operators at the time on signage, so went for the name of the infrastructure provider, which was less likely to change (but still did!)

 

[The Crab]

I'm not sure that "British Rail" was ever a legal entity but instead was a marketing name of the British Railways Board or whatever.

 

[ag51ruk]

RailTrack was a privatised part of British Rail that maintained track. After serious accidents in was re-nationalised and renamed Network Rail.

There was no capital T in Railtrack...

 

[pdeaves]

Well aware of that which is why it seemed bizarre for London Underground to be advertising the LST platforms as the "Railtrack platforms" (especially around 14 years after Railtrack became Network Rail... although I believe Amersham still refers to "British Rail" on its signage...)

Liverpool Street was a Railtrack 'major station' (it still is under its Network Rail successor's guise) so as station operator it would be advertised as the 'Railtrack platforms'. Stations down the line could be referred to as 'one' platforms, or 'Greater Anglia' platforms, or whatever, depending on the operator at the time.

London Underground would not be interested in changing the sign every time something changed on the national network, so 'out of date' signs would not be uncommon.

 

[yorksrob]

The network definitely has a bit more of a recognisable "brand" under NR than I remember under Railtrack. I'd still like to see full route maps at all stations to act as a bit of an advert of just how many places are accessible by rail though.