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British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commission, it became an independent statutory corporation in January 1963, when it was formally renamed the British Railways Board.
1960 – the last British steam engine is made (Evening Star). 1960s–2000s (decade) – Many countries adopt high-speed rail in an attempt to make rail transport competitive with both road transport and air transport. 1963, 27 March – Publication of The Reshaping of Britain's Railways (the Beeching Report).
The history of rail transport in Great Britain 1948–1994 covers the period when the British railway system was nationalised under the name of 'British Railways', latterly known as British Rail until its eventual privatisation in 1994.
In 2019, there were 1.738 billion journeys on the National Rail network, [1] making the British network the fifth most used in the world (Great Britain ranks 23rd in world population). Unlike a number of other countries, rail travel in the United Kingdom has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with passenger numbers approaching their highest ...
The first steel rails were made in 1857 and standard rail lengths increased over time from 30 to 60 feet (9.1–18.3 m). Rails were typically specified by units of weight per linear length and these also increased. Railway sleepers were traditionally made of Creosote-treated hardwoods and this continued through to modern times. Continuous ...
British Railway History. An outline from the accession of William IV to the Nationalisation of Railways, 1830–1876 (vol 1. G. Allen and Unwin, 1954) Ellis, Cuthbert Hamilton. British Railway History: An Outline from the Accession of William IV to the Nationalization of Railways, 1877–1947. Vol. 2 (G. Allen and Unwin, 1959); see online review.
Although the railway network in Great Britain has some of the smallest loading gauges in the world, the vast bulk of it is still capable of operating full sized vehicles. [1] However, British Rail, together with its predecessors and successors have, on occasion, been required to operate passenger trains to an even smaller loading gauge and have ...
In 1952, British United Traction made numerous 4-wheeled single car railbuses. [22] A Diesel Multiple Unit in 1983. As part of the 1955 Modernisation Plan of British Railways, plans were made for up to 4,600 diesel railcars. [21]