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How did the railways of Britain change from the uniformity of the 1970s to the kaleidoscope of twenty-first century rail operation?
The answer is sectorization, and Mark Jamieson's British Rail from Sectorization to Privatization explores this important but near-forgotten period in the recent history of British railways. In 1982 British Rail reorganizes into five sectors, each responsible for different types of rail traffic: InterCity, Provincial Services, London and South East, Railfreight and Parcels.
Sectorization coincided with the 1980s explosion of brands, colors and logos and the railways soon followed suit, with many bright new liveries applied to trains old and new. But sectorization wasn't just about liveries: a relentless focus on each sector's 'bottom line' exposed rail traffic that did not pay and led to the disappearance of many trains. InterCity trains to Blackpool, Stranraer and Shrewsbury ceased and the variety of wagonload freight was virtually destroyed. Carefully researched captions bring over 150 beautiful pictures to life, explaining how nearly 50 years of nationalized railways would come to an end as British Rail prepared for privatisation.
