YEARS AGO... 50

AUGUST 1970

THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES:

British Railways Board’s annual report identified growth in incomes and consumer spending power, an increase in leisure, and rising competition from other forms of transport as the three most important trends affecting future rail prospects. On the passenger side of things, the report said the railway must concentrate on quality of service and aim to show steady improvement year by year. ‘Quality’ here meant speed, comfort, reliability and convenience. Speeds of 100mph had become common on large parts of the Inter-City network, putting BR in a world-leading position. However, investment had declined sharply and continuously over a five-year period, to around two-thirds of that in 1966, giving the company a right to emphasise its claim for more. Taking into account land use, noise and atmospheric pollution, the more intensive use of the railway network – particularly where it had been electrified – almost always offers the least interference with the environment and the lowest social costs in relation to the benefit obtained.

LONDON-BRISTOL RESIGNALLING:

A further stage of the resignalling of the Bristol area was completed in mid-August in the Bath Spa area, meaning the LondonReading-Bath-Bristol route was entirely controlled by colour-light signals operated from five signalboxes at

Old Oak Common, Slough, Reading, Swindon and Bristol. Completion of further stages would bring colour-light signals to the route from London to Bristol via Badminton, and complete the provision of colour-light signalling on the London-South Wales route through to Port Talbot. The entire Bristol scheme was scheduled for completion in 1971.