In November 1979 the journalist David Hencke prevented a second set of cuts to Britain’s railways along the lines of those made by Richard Beeching in the 1960s. In reports in the Guardian, Hencke revealed secret plans to implement a huge programme of passenger closures, partly through extensive substitution by buses. Between 700 and 2,000 miles of railway were under threat.
Hencke had seen British Rail’s confidential corporate plan, evaluating 40 out of 85 branch lines and provincial services. It laid down a timetable for closures covering two stages, up to 1984 and up to 1989.
As a result, the transport minister, Norman Fowler, over-ruled BR and his officials in a letter to BR’s chairman, Peter Parker: “It is my firm policy that there should be no substantial cuts in the passenger rail network … the option of closing 40 passenger services is one that the government have rejected.”
Virtually all these services are still running and most are thriving. The culture in favour of the railway has changed, not least thanks to David Hencke.
