The Age of the Train
To mark the 175th anniversary of the railway reaching Barton, award winning railway writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar tells the fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail from its post war origins to its dismantlement fifty years later reflecting the political dogmas of the times.
Christian writes regularly for a wide variety of publications including the Independent, Evening Standard and Rail magazine, and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator.
His latest book is “British Rail” is an authoritative and fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Railways, providing a new perspective on national loss in a time of privatisation.
From its creation after the Second World War, through its fifty-year lifetime, British Rail was an innovative powerhouse that transformed our transport system. Uniting disparate lines into a highly competent organisation – heralding ‘The Age of the Train’ – and, for a time, providing one of the fastest regular rail services in the world.
Born into post-war austerity, traumatised, impoverished and exploited by a hostile press, the state-owned railway was dismissed as a dinosaur unable to evolve, and swept away by a government hellbent on selling it off.
If your memories of BR are “stale sandwiches” or “the wrong kind of snow” this talk will put the other side of the story.
Friday 6 September, 7.30pm
Tickets are £10 in advance* (£12 otd) and £6 for Civic Society Members.
