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Ian Hislop Goes off the Rails

Ian Hislop takes a look at the notorious Beeching Report of 1963, which led to the closure of a third of the nation's railway lines and forced thousands of people onto the road.

Ian Hislop brings his customary humour, analysis and wit to the notorious Beeching Report of 1963, which led to the closure of a third of the nation's railway lines and stations and forced tens of thousands of people into the car and onto the road.

Was author Dr Richard Beeching little more than Genghis Khan with a slide rule, ruthlessly hacking away at Britain's rail network in a misguided quest for profitability, or was he the fall guy for short-sighted government policies that favoured the car over the train?

Ian also investigates the fallout of Beeching's plan, discovering what was lost to the British landscape, communities and ways of life when the railway map shrank, and recalls the halcyon days of train travel, celebrated by John Betjeman.

Ian travels from Cornwall to the Scottish borders, meeting those responsible and those affected and questioning whether such brutal measures could be justified. Knowing what we know now, with trains far more energy efficient and environmentally sound than cars, perhaps Beeching's plan was the biggest folly of the 1960s?

1 hour

Last on

Thu 30 Nov 2017 20:00
主播大秀 Four

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:07

    John Barry Seven Plus Four

    Hit and Miss

  • 00:30

    Erik Satie

    Lent

  • 00:52

    Michael Nyman

    The Sacrifice

Credits

Presenter Ian Hislop
Producer Deborah Lee
Director Deborah Lee
Executive Producer Neil Cameron

Broadcasts