WITHOUT a doubt, this book succeeds in its aim of giving perspective regarding how Governments before and during the Beeching era, and those who fought some of the individual closures, perceived the railways in relation to other transport infrastructure.
In this unflinching and carefullychronicled account, Charles Loft sets the scene by considering the challenges faced in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the formation of the British Transport Commission and the ramifications of the 1947 Transport Act. The author takes a chronological journey through the evolution of these initial postwar policies and their impact on the railway system, and has built the narrative around individual cases.
For anyone with an interest in railway history, particularly the mid-20th century interaction between Whitehall, British Railways and local communities, this is sure to provide an engaging read. At times, however, I did feel overloaded with information and wondered whether some of the detail distracted from the overall conclusions.
Charles Loft’s hopes of some “sympathy” for both policymakers and anti-closure campaigners of the era may be a stretch for those with strong feelings on the subject, but it will almost certainly leave the reader with a greater understanding of a period when an early opportunity to pin down the role of rail was missed, and arguments were influenced both by fears over rationalisation and modernisation being too hasty and not taking place quickly enough. GP Published by Biteback www.bitebackpublishing.com336 pages, softback. £14.99