Overdue but welcome plan to reverse Beeching Axe

SELDOM have official reports achieved such enduring notoriety as that of the Beeching Reports, masterminded by Dr Richard Beeching and published by the British Railways Board in the 1960s. The reports – The Reshaping Of British Railways (1963) and The Development Of The Major Railway Trunk Routes (1965) – had precious little to do with either reshaping or development. What they were about were swingeing cuts which is why the entire project has been known ever since as the Beeching Axe.

In a near perfect demonstration of how infrastructure planners predict the future at their peril, Beeching assumed (as did many) that railways were on their way out and that goods and people would henceforth travel by road. Losses on the railways were mounting. Modernisation was the order of the day.

As a result thousands of miles of track were closed, along with branch lines and stations. It was a misbegotten policy that deeply affected rural communities and changed the face of Britain.

Many enthusiasts attempted to reclaim and re-open heritage lines and beautified abandoned stations. But what nobody foresaw was how rail travel would bounce back in the coming decades.

Now Transport Secretary Chris Grayling wants to identify new projects that will unlock economic growth and housing development and ease crowded commuter routes. This could include restoring services killed off all those years ago by Beeching.

Those who remember the hideous consequences of the Beeching Axe will be delighted. Those who would simply like to see much needed improvement in our rail services will also welcome this initiative.