A History of British Rail Engineering Limited

In 1970, the British Railways Board established a new subsidiary company to take over the design, manufacture and maintenance of its rolling stock. British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) was born. The company drove a new era of rail technology, and this new company history tells the dazzling story of BREL from its humble beginnings until its sale in 1992 during the controversial privatisation of Britain's railways.

The company's work in designing the iconic new trains that would take Britain's railways into a new era is examined alongside its relationship with subcontractors and private manufacturers, as well as its tumultuous relationship with the British Railways Board. BREL's struggles to deal with the legacy of the outdated and obsolete stock and infrastructure it inherited are examined in the light of new research.

BREL's little-known success as an international exporter of British designed and manufactured trains is explored fully. The company's heyday as a leading-edge technology manufacturer and its relationship with the British Railways Research Division left not only a history of iconic trains but a legacy which is still with us on today's modern railway.

A History of British Rail Engineering Limited is authored by Richard Marks, a professional historian specialising in Railway, Industrial and Military History, with a long-standing interest in railway history. After a career in the business software industry, working in many verticals including rail, Richard decided to use his professional experience to work full-time in history. He has a Master's degree in history from the Open University and is currently researching for a PhD looking at the impact of railways upon industrial development in rural counties during the nineteenth century. Richard has also volunteered in the heritage sector.

100 b/w illustrations