Advent Quiz - day 18 - "Who Said"

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Who said (and can you give me the context?):

1.
"The industry must be of a size and pattern suited to modern conditions and prospects. In particular, the railway system must be remodelled to meet current needs, and the modernisation plan must be adapted to this new shape."

2.
"To examine the finances of the railway and associated operations, in the light of all relevant considerations, and to report on options for alternative policies, and their related objectives, designed to secure improved financial results in an efficiently run railway in Great Britain over the next 20 years"

3.
"We believe that the rail network can be run better – for everyone. Together, we will create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain. We will get there by placing customers at the heart of our decision-making and building a system that serves their needs – not ours."

4.
"My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget statement that the Government have decided that the modernisation of the west main line will be taken forward as a privately managed and financed investment as part of the private finance initiative. The investment made by the private sector will be additional to the investment which Railtrack will be able to fund under the public expenditure plans announced in the Budget."

5.
"Organisations representing passengers were not, on the whole, impressed by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)’s efforts to consult passengers.  Transport 2000 pointed out that there is no statutory obligation for the Department to consult widely among passengers and other interested parties about the design of franchised services. In their view, consultation was far too restrictive, and sometimes failed to take on board concerns expressed by passengers, environmental groups as well as local authorities."

6.
"I'm proud to be a railway modeler." and "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house."

7.
"My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive."

8.
"The AM peak arrival is not currently operating Monday to Friday, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will strengthen the 0720 Westbury to Bristol to 5 cars replacing lost commuter capacity and we do not foresee any loading issues created by this proposal."

9.
We know the railway must not take more than its fair share from the taxpayer, which is why the rail industry is working to create a financially sustainable and more passenger-focused service – that will both keep costs down long-term and attract people back to the train.

[ellendune]

2.  This is the brief given by the Secretary of State for Transport to the committee chaired by Sir David Serpel in 1982.  So the Secretary of State would have been David Howell.

[PrestburyRoad]

1.  The use of the term "modernisation plan" makes me think of the Beeching report (under the auspices of minister Marples [boo hiss]).

[stuving]

1.  The use of the term "modernisation plan" makes me think of the Beeching report (under the auspices of minister Marples [boo hiss]).

I'd have picked "shape" and "remodel" as the Beechingesque words, but that's spot on. It's quoted in the foreword of the "Beeching Plan" itself (The Reshaping of British Railways part 1), and is attributed not to Ernie Marples but to "the Prime Minister, speaking in the House on 10th March, 1960".

So it was Harold Macmillan. And there was not very much press reporting of this (network and services) aspect of the "radical re-organisation of the railway system". The Daily Mirror was more excited by the idea of building heliports (though that word didn't exist then) or flats over stations, and spent more words on the changes made to the administration at board level and the introduction of new regional operating areas.

But then work on reshaping didn't start until much later, with Beeching's appointment in 1961, initially to head the BTC. Planning to define and implement the re-organisation was done by the BTC and the government advised by Sir Ivan Stedeford's "Rail Planning Group".

[Western Pathfinder]

No6. Sir Rod Stewart!..