The Secret History of Rail (Channel 4, 2001)

[@andrewsingh857]

Missed this at the time (2001), however it's interesting to watch it 19 years after it was made. As a railwayman of over 36 years (Driver for over 31) I know that there are a number of factual errors I could point out but most have already been correctly mentioned by previous commentators. One that I feel can't go unchallenged though was the statement made that "passengers have died in crashes every year since 1902", that was just a blatant lie in 2001, BR had years with no passenger fatalities due to accidents (1976 & 1977 are 2 that come immediately to mind). I genuinely feel that a major part of the problem at Railtrack was a basic lack of understanding at the highest levels as to what the function of the company really was (landlord of railway property? Provider of train paths to operating companies? Maintainer of railway infrastructure? In reality a combination of them all), certainly not helped by no clear leadership from governments (both Major's and Blair's) on this, as demonstrated by the sub contracting out of their basic maintenance responsibilities, something which has always been a core function of a company that has owned railway infrastructure. I also feel compelled to answer criticisms made here concerning the railway trade unions (in particularly towards the late Ray Buckton), ASLEF is, perhaps not unique but certainly different from many other unions, a union where EVERY policy held, rule in force and indeed decision made at the highest level originates at the absolute grass level, via branches, districts, company (in BR days Regional) councils, and so on. Any positions that Ray, as General Secretary, presented to the British Railways Board or Government had originated with the members at branch level. (This was the case then, as it still is now, we can honestly claim to be a truly democratic union, ultimately answerable to our membership), I hold my hands up here, I am an ASLEF officer (elected by my fellow members) but that doesn't change in any way the truth of what I state. I will finally say this, the railway in Britain (particularly in these days of COVID-19 and beyond) faces an interesting, if not difficult & maybe a little uncomfortable, future.

[@Meckiffe1976]

Yep... the use of Savile now looks completely symbolic.

[@rexremedy1733]

well, he indeed, did deliver... :-(

[@southerneruk]

@@whangie1 If you ever see that film "That be the Day" there is a bit in the film that tells you there was a pedo DJ.

[@tdtvegas]

As an American, I’m sorry I Googled who Jimmy Saville was..

[@sutherlandA1]

Nowadays the neglect, attempted destruction and divestment of the British railway has been seen as very short sighted and reckless as train ridership is at record highs with upgrades and even maintenance failing to keep pace. The cancellation of the APT was very disappointing as it couldve been a world beater

[@Phunker1]

A message from Jimmy for those mothers with children: "Give them a treat"!

[@darrenbrashaw8409]

The underage of the train.

[@binarysignals9593]

a finger and thumb should be just enough

[@granskare]

when I was in the UK. I traveled from Glasgow down to London, 1958

[@satyris410]

How long did it take? Are you still alive?

[@51WCDodge]

And in 2021, the new signal centre at Three Bridges, the building is to small. The signals, North DC South AC, Siemiens making a fortune from a cocok up. But still ..if only someone else had ......

[@arthurmatthews9321]

The problem with British Rail was constant lack of funding. Thatcher tried everything she could to destroy the railways in this country. The apt project was given 150 million funding to develop and perfect. Yet concord was given 3 billion. But that’s ok isn’t it because only mega rich people can afford to travel on concord.

[@cjmillsnun]

They had no choice with Concorde. If we had cancelled the UK involvement, the French would've continued the project and under the terms of the agreement, the UK government would've been liable for half the cost (as they were with us in it) meaning we wouldn't have saved anything.

[@HughTerry69]

A very good programme, albeit rather depressing for British railway lovers. (The music I found rather intrusive.) You look at comparable systems in France, Germany, Italy, even Spain and think: Why?

[@m-4136]

That’s very same question I asked myself after moving to France , I felt like an American having French people explain basic things like laws and protections and the penny dropped the fact that the average French person my age at the time 19 even had that type of knowledge or info about history before our time really made me sit up straight and pick up a book 📚

[@freddieellis8449]

That penthouse from which Saville is being interviewed overlooks the spot where Irene Richardson was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe!

[@CARLIN4737]

Thats nice?

[@totallyquakerz6976]

7:15 I hope those kids got away from Savile without being abused

[@satyris410]

The bit introducing Peter Parker alongside savile is a bit weird, especially with him putting his legs up like that. I feel like that was a bit strange

[@mikewatt8706]

virgin had the pendolino train. br had the peadolino train

[@mattdavies7398]

A good documentary, iffy chronology. The APT cancellation happened under Mrs Thatcher's Conservatives and not under Labour, yet Bill Rodgers was being interviewed about it as if he was responsible for the cancellation (16:34).

[@grandadgamer8390]

The APT was an amazing concept. A shame that BR had little choice but to effectively do its R&D in the public eye 😕

[@Spookieham]

The design was sound it just needed more production testing - but it didn't get it. It was years ahead of it's time. Typical Britain - world class inventions which are nailed at the last minute : Concorde; Blue Streak/Black Arrow; APT; TSR2; Hovercraft etc. God it's a depressing list.

[@andykr2253]

@@Spookieham could be worse, could be Canada

[@kenstevens5065]

Not just the railways as we now find. Don't just blame Thatcher and Shagger Major, Angels compared to what we have in Government now. End Times.

[@First_Principals]

26:35 had to rewind and listen to that 3 times!!!!

[@MrSvenovitch]

Ahh Jim, what a wonderful human being.....or should we just say 'typical'? *Facepalm*

[@frequentflyer3965]

Does anyone know what the background music is?

[@gaoeykreg]

Kinobe - Slip Into Something More Comfortable

[@jonathanholmes6520]

The APT is the Concord of the railway to head of its time

[@scottgibson7534]

The APT technolagy was sold to Italy they perfected it and sold it back to us.........................en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_390

[@Tuberuser187]

Come little children! Come with Jimmy to the seaside with a cheap awayday return! Yeaaah, these adverts have not aged well.

[@littletraveller5428]

I remember the carry on movies showing the strike culture of those days. No toilet roll, right that’s it! Not having it. At 24.00 mins she explains what everyone should wake up to. These people know NOTHING. They learn everything from advisors who sometimes know sometimes don’t.

[@granskare]

in our USA town, men would go on strike at the drop of a hat, then the corporation sold the company and now Farmall is closed. :)

[@Saint_Dan132]

bless her heart

[@granskare]

check what the Japanese are doing. in usa our interstates are crowded with cars extending the amount of smog shown

[@metropod]

Japan’s problem is lack of space. Roughly 3/4ths of the country is nothing but mountains. Rail travel’s practically is based on populations density. Put it this way: England, just England bu itself, is smaller than the state of New York. But it has more than 2 1/2 times the population and just about triple the population density. Japan might be much larger at first glance, but, like I said, 75% is mountains. So that 25% of useable land means you have 127 million people... most of whom are crammed into an area equal Indiana. Japan can not support the level of road infrastructure that would be needed. Flat, relatively empty American can.

[@rsmit2797]

Did you notice Geoffrey @ 27:31?

[@danwoodhouse9290]

Geoffrey who?

[@swedishdissident3406]

Ray Buckton is the type of union leader that stirs up shit giving unions a bad name. As this makes labour unpopular so conservices get in destroy the railway even more. The best scenario is a labour government with limited union power. Or do like Sweden teach both sides to compromise. Since this was adopted in Sweden there have been very few strickes since then.

[@musukunjin8578]

Working home mate ...... haha

[@callumbaker6134]

Watch at 1.5 speed

[@RWL2012]

???

[@plhebel1]

36:49,,,, Is that an ORB floating by slowly? How come a orb can't be seen before the paranormal crazy of hunting said paranormal stuff? Just asking, don't need to yell, Ha Ha

[@granskare]

I saved worldcom check for .10 cents which is 1/10 of a us dollar

[@callumbaker6134]

To the lads in economics good luck with the video 😂

[@gentelbenn62]

Stupid is, as stupid does! Politics can do anything, but never getting it right. Just pass another legal document giving them the right to take your money. 1st make a document, to make it illegal for you to complain. Across the pond, it is no different, just a different day!

[@johnmurray4918]

Privatization VS National rail;. Railroads were first successfully built by private industry until they were nationalized and taken over by the government. Question who comprises your government, just like mine they are mostly incompetent people who were unable to obtain better paying jobs in private industry. The only thing they seem to be adept at, is wasting tax payer money. These are the people whom today's mostly younger generation want to be in charge. Their ignorant concept seems to be, that the government should take over the roll of their parents and magically pay for everything and everything should be free like it was at home. Older people understand this is a complete misconception of how the world works. The only way to successfully bring back your railroads is to have them run once again by private industry. It will take time but it will get done.

[@moose_ringo9161]

You do realise the railway has more public subsidy than it did in BR days...

[@RW-nr6bh]

The competency of people in the private sector? I worked for a company whose CEO steered it into effective bankruptcy and it was only saved from literally folding by a hasty takeover deal. By no means unique. It isn't Public Bad, Private Good; there is good and bad in both.

[@MannyAntipov]

@@moose_ringo9161 Not sufficient however. Bear in mind that due to complex layers of managements and micro-transactions between them, the actual cost to subsidise is inflated.

[@tedphillips2501]

Dare I suggest British Rail is a subsidy to the politically connected to prop up the value of their urban real estate? In the age of the internet, how many people really "need" to commute?

[@cjmillsnun]

many of us because companies have not come into the 21st century and still require workers to be present in their office.

[@littletraveller5428]

You have a point but bosses that are paying you a lot of money want to see you slaving away at your desk.

[@binarysignals9593]

@@cjmillsnun Now look..