Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching

Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching (* April 21, 1913 in Maidstone, † 23 March 1985) was a postdoctoral British physicist and engineer, known primarily for his work as Chairman of the State Railways British Railways. Among the implemented there under his direction rationalization measures included the closure of many branch lines, which became known ( Beeching ax ) as the Beeching Axe.

Life and achievements

1913-1960

His childhood and youth spent Richard Beeching in his birthplace of Maidstone in Kent. In the 1930s he began at Imperial College, London, a physics major, he was able to complete his doctorate. In 1938, he married Ella Tiley.

After several years working for the company Moon nickel Laboratories in Birmingham Beeching moved in 1943 to the development of weapons of the former British Ministry of Supply (Ministry of Supply). In 1946 he was appointed there as deputy chief engineer. 1948 Beeching left the ministry and took up a position at the chemical company Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI ). From 1957, he was a technical manager at the ICI Board.

1960-1965: Chairman of the British Transport Commission and British Railways Board

1960 Beeching was appointed to the " Stedeford - Group". This Commission reviewed under the chairmanship of the industrialist Sir Ivan Stedeford and on behalf of the then British Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples, the British Transport Commission ( BTC) on savings. The loss-making BTC united under one roof all state transport activities of Britain, including the State Railways British Railways. Last but not least on the basis of the results Stedeford Commission decided the British government in 1962, the resolution of the BTC in favor of separate organizational structures for rail transport, road transport and shipping. British Railways was from 1 January 1963 as the authority British Railways Board, and later the British Rail occurred under the name British Railways constituted.

The former Chairman of the BTC, Sir Brian Robertson, should begin his retirement in May 1961 so that was looking for a successor. The choice fell on Richard Beeching, which was released this by his previous employer ICI over a period of five years. On 1 June 1961 he took up the chair of the BTC and took over after its dissolution at the turn of 1962/1963 the presidency of the British Railways Board.

Beeching was still while working for the BTC a comprehensive analysis of the company's British Railways in order. Transport services, gains and losses should be presented in detail for the individual lines and stations; further the development of traffic should be predicted for the coming decades. The results of these carried out under the leadership of Stanley Raymond study were published on 27 March 1963 in a 148- page report titled "The Reshaping of British Railways ". From the result of the public " Beeching Report" said publication could for example be seen that half of the approximately 7,000 stations of British Railways gave only 2 % of sales. Similarly, only 1% of the total transport volume is rendered ( in passenger and tonne-kilometers ) on a third of the route network. Therefore, the report recommended comprehensive rationalization measures.

The implementation of the rationalization measures have been taken as late as 1963 in attack. Numerous British branch lines, but also smaller stations to continue to traffic routes were closed. Thus, the length of the route of the British Railways rail network decreased from 27,329 km end of 1963 to 1970 to 18,988 km. British Railways and Richard Beeching as chairman were heavily criticized by members of the public and the press as part of the line closures. Was criticized in particular that, although made ​​radical closures, modernization of existing lines further but had been taken only half-heartedly to complete. As a term for the radical reduction of the railway network Beeching Axe was coined.

In addition to line closures Beeching did however make other changes in British Railways. So he recommended the establishment of a Containerzugsystems, which was implemented from 1965 under the name Freightliner. He also laid the foundation for the later British " Intercity " network of passenger and provided for modernization of coal transportation. On February 16, 1965 Beeching presented with "The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes" before a second report, which set standards for the expansion of the main routes of the British railway system. The British public, however, this report is obtained in contrast to the " Beeching Report" from 1963 hardly notoriety.

After the general election in the autumn of 1964 the Labour Party was able to replace the ruling Conservative Party for 13 years. As part of the associated restructuring of the Department of Transportation to Beeching end of 1964 decided to terminate his position in the British Railways Board in the following year early. This step was announced on December 23, 1964 and implemented on May 31, 1965. He was succeeded by Stanley Raymond. In the British public has been speculation about whether the resignation of Beeching was made voluntarily. Also, the Secretary of Transportation Frank Cousins ​​( Labour ) announced in November 1964 against the British House of Commons for the record that Beeching was forced to resign. Beeching himself spoke, however, his life by a voluntary resignation.

1965-1985

Beeching returned to ICI, where he worked as vice chairman from 1965 to 1968. On July 7, 1965 given the title of Life Peer was awarded as Baron Beeching, of East Grinstead in the County of Sussex.

In 1966, while working for ICI, Beeching was asked by the British Minister of Justice, to take over the chairmanship of a commission for the reorganization of the British court system. The 1969 published results of this Commission is to this day the basis for the division of powers between the various court levels of the British justice system.

Richard Beeching died on March 23, 1985 after a long illness.

Publications

• The Reshaping of British Railways, HMSO 1963
• The Development of the Major Trunk Routes, HMSO 1965

Others

BBC beamed 1995-1997 one written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove sitcom called " Oh, Doctor Beeching! ", which dealt with the effects of the " Beeching Axe " in a small rural station.