So its has been 50 years since Dr Richard Beeching presented his report to the Harold Macmillan Conservative government on the future of Britain's railway network.
Now I have to say that at first, he was considered the villain of the piece, and perhaps people believe that is still so.
Not the case. Britain's rail network was out dated, over manned and completely shot after the 2nd World War days. Steam was still the principle motive power, although the British Railways Board were introducing some form of modernization and diesel and electric motive power.
What you do have to remember is that cuts to the rail network were happening before this report, but not to the same volume.
Now anybody employed to report on a state owned institution, apart from receiving a nice salary, has the simple but sole ability to present the full facts and findings to the elected government of the day. It is then up to that body of people to act or part act on that report, or perhaps not at all.
Now in that government was a Transport Minister by the name of Ernest Marple, a despised little man with low intelligence. He was a road building man, and that was the start of Britain's major road building programme with the age of the Motorway a prime example. Now let me just say that we needed roads as well, but not at the expense of the railways. The cuts ran deep and were still being sanctioned by the obnoxious Harold Wilson's Labour Government.
However, we cannot turn back the clock entirely. Some selected lines are being reopened as the volume of traffic and numbers of passengers is at an all time record. Before we even think about HS2, Network Rail has a vast programme of investments due to be implemented over the next three or four years.
I do believe however that the biggest crime committed was allowing redundant track beds to be built on.
The government should have accepted that closures were going to to be sanctioned, however there should have been some form of legal notice that any purchsse of previously owned railway land must be protected and a prevention of building order established.
You also have to ask yourself the following question. With today's technology, one person train operators, modern signaling and present day ticketing arrangement's would some of those line closed now be profitable. The old Somerset and Dorset line running from Bath Green Park to Bournemouth, via the Mendips, although a tortuous route, perhaps might now be profitable with the advert of new stock and technology.
Hey Ho, its happened now, so lets look forward to the future and HS2!
