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473:, which the railways had owned jointly. To these were added numerous smaller independent concerns taken over at nationalisation, comprising all undertakings predominantly engaged in ordinary long-distance work for distances of 40 miles (64 km) or upwards. These networks were later re-organised as
695:
that more time was required to effect the transfer of property and rights to its successor entities. To give more time to effect the transfer of property and rights belonging to the
British Transport Commission outside Great Britain to its successor entities, the dissolution date was postponed four
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alone survived). On 1 January 1955, the railways were re-organised on the basis of six Area
Railway Boards, which had a wide measure of operational autonomy under the Commission's overall supervision. The Commission took direct charge of the remaining assets, though these were significantly reduced
549:
The
Commission was permitted to "secure the provision" of road passenger services, although it did not have the general powers of compulsory purchase of bus operators. To obtain specific powers of acquisition it had first to draw up, and get approval for, a 'Road Scheme', area by area. Only one was
301:
At first, the
Commission did not directly operate transport services, which were the responsibility of the Commission's Executives. These bodies were separately appointed, and operated under what were termed 'schemes of delegation'. The Act provided for five Executives, covering Docks & Inland
297:
The BTC was one of the largest industrial organisations in the world and it owned a vast number of transport-related assets. The assets owned at its creation included: 52,000 miles (84,000 km) of railway track, 1,260,000 freight and service railway vehicles, 40,000 passenger railway coaches,
570:
By the late 1950s the BTC was in serious financial difficulties, largely due to the economic performance of the railways. It was criticised as an overly bureaucratic system of administering transport services and had failed to develop an integrated transport system (such as
690:
Section 80 of the
Transport Act 1962 provide that the British Transport Commission was to be dissolved on the "vesting date", which was defined as 1 January 1963 by paragraph 1 of the Transport Act 1962 (Vesting Date) Order 1962, unless it appeared to the
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407:
The BTC inherited the LNER's
Railway Museum at York and appointed a Curator of Historical Relics to build up a national collection. Eventually, much of this collection was displayed at the Museum of British Transport at
253:
was to provide an efficient, adequate, economical and properly integrated system of public inland transport and port facilities within Great
Britain for passengers and goods, excluding transport by air.
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published, the North East Area Road Scheme, though work began on a second scheme, covering East Anglia. The NEARS was never confirmed, as it was fiercely opposed by private and municipal operators.
1153:
1040:
289:, which was already publicly owned. The nationalisation package also included the fleets of 'private owner wagons', which industrial concerns had used to transport goods on the railway networks.
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by the
Conservatives de-nationalising much of the road haulage sector. On 1 January 1955, separate managements were also set up for road haulage, hotels, docks and inland waterways.
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20,148 locomotives, 93,000 road vehicles, 2,050 miles (3,300 km) of canals, 122 steamships, 54 hotels and 52,000 houses. In March 1953, it had 877,000 staff.
42:
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310:". In 1949, Road Transport was divided into separate Road Haulage and Road Passenger Executives, though the latter proved short-lived.
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The quasi-federal structure of
Commission and Executives proved to be an obstacle to integration and was largely abolished by the
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285:. It also took over 55 other railway undertakings, 19 canal undertakings and 246 road haulage firms, as well as the work of the
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355:. In London and the surrounding area, the BTC ran both the (red) London buses and the (green) country buses, including
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to 1 April 1963, 1 July 1963, 1 October 1963, and finally to 1 January 1964, the date on which it was dissolved.
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the local road distribution networks of the pre-nationalisation rail companies, plus the removals company
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The
Nationalisation of British Transport: The Early History of the British Transport Commission, 1948-53
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for details and dates – was formed chiefly by the amalgamation of the various railway constabularies.
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These changes took effect on 1 January 1963. Notwithstanding the abolition of the BTC, the
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the former railway hotels and catering departments initially came under the control of the
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the South London tramways of London Transport, all of which were abandoned by 5 July 1952.
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886:"Ministry of Transport: The British Transport Commission (Continuation No. 4) Order 1963"
866:"Ministry of Transport: The British Transport Commission (Continuation No. 3) Order 1963"
846:"Ministry of Transport: The British Transport Commission (Continuation No. 2) Order 1963"
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continues to exist, and the BTC heraldic shield is still displayed on the force's badge.
533:, but also including those bought out earlier by the pre-nationalisation railways. The
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826:"Ministry of Transport: The British Transport Commission (Continuation) Order 1962"
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545:. As well as the canal infrastructure, BTC also managed canal carrying services.
24:
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The British Transport Commission was created by the Transport Act 1947 (i.e. a
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The Transport Act 1962 (Vesting Date) Order 1962, paragraph 1. Available from
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canals and navigable rivers, mainly taken over from canal companies, like the
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343:
Group. It also manufactured buses for its own use, through the subsidiaries
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The Transport Act 1962, section 80 (as originally enacted). Available from
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as Chief Secretary. Its main holdings were the networks and assets of the
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Transport Act 1947, section 1(1) (as originally enacted). Available from
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Transport Act 1947, section 1(9) and the First Schedule. Available from
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Waterways, Hotels, London Transport, Railways, and Road Transport. The
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The BTC came into operation on 1 January 1948. Its first chairman was
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programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in
317:
British Transport Advertising sold space on premises and vehicles.
455:, including ancillary activities like engineering workshops, and
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327:
sold its bus interests to the BTC in September 1948, as did the
1029:
18:
617:(remaining interests, in shipping, travel and road transport)
369:), comprising 32 ports taken over from the railway companies.
416:. This closed in the early 1970s and was superseded by the
952:
The Historical Dictionary of Railways in the British Isles
834:. No. 42867. 25 December 1962. pp. 10075–10076.
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was already state-owned. The canals are today run by the
937:
Directory of Railway Officials & Year Book 1956-1957
463:) were sold to the Ulster Transport Authority in 1949.
442:
the British Transport Commission Police (BTCP) – see
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184:
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128:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
939:. London: Tothill Press Limited. 1956. p. 34.
894:. No. 43111. 20 September 1963. p. 7752.
483:the former railway steamer services, primarily to
389:, but on 1 July 1948 they were transferred to the
1175:History of public transport authorities in London
557:government with effect from 1 October 1953 (the
459:. The former LMS lines in Northern Ireland (see
313:The Commission's extensive activities included:
954:. London: Wharncliffe Publishing. p. 264.
335:buses and trolleybuses were transferred by the
854:. No. 42955. 29 March 1963. p. 2835.
686:
684:
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395:British Transport Hotel and Catering Services
375:the BTC had its own film production company,
8:
874:. No. 43045. 2 July 1963. p. 5653.
123:
1333:Austerity in the United Kingdom (1939–1954)
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393:. Between 1953 and 1963, they operated as
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1323:1948 establishments in the United Kingdom
611:(London buses and the London Underground)
269:national regional railway companies: the
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
365:British Transport Docks (today known as
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586:and replaced by five successor bodies:
575:and timetabling). It was abolished by
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7:
1210:Privatisation of London bus services
593:(railways, hotels and some shipping)
279:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1058:bus transport in the United Kingdom
749:History of the British canal system
245:(Northern Ireland had the separate
1256:London Regional Transport Act 1984
527:Grand Union Canal Carrying Company
14:
1328:Organizations established in 1948
1159:History of the PTE bus operations
501:Atlantic Steam Navigation Company
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1278:
1011:. London: Macmillan Press, Ltd.
754:Independent Transport Commission
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714:
432:). The BTC also established the
287:London Passenger Transport Board
275:London and North Eastern Railway
23:
1200:London Omnibus Traction Society
670:), which provided that it was "
34:needs additional citations for
1205:London General Omnibus Company
1154:Former municipal bus companies
249:). Its general duty under the
58:"British Transport Commission"
1:
642:Gen. Sir Brian Robertson, Bt.
597:British Transport Docks Board
337:British Electricity Authority
197:British Transport Docks Board
1318:British Transport Commission
1098:British Transport Commission
1007:Bonavia, Michael R. (1987).
744:Canals of the United Kingdom
531:Fellows Morton & Clayton
397:; and in 1963 it became the
224:British Transport Commission
124:British Transport Commission
1195:London Country Bus Services
1190:Former London bus operators
815:. Accessed 7 November 2022.
802:. Accessed 3 November 2022.
789:. Accessed 5 November 2022.
776:. Accessed 5 November 2022.
461:Northern Counties Committee
349:Bristol Commercial Vehicles
1349:
1133:Ulster Transport Authority
559:London Transport Executive
495:coast, and investments in
434:Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum
247:Ulster Transport Authority
235:post-war Labour government
1298:United Kingdom portal
1274:
1123:Transport Holding Company
1113:National Bus Company (UK)
1093:British Electric Traction
615:Transport Holding Company
341:British Electric Traction
212:Transport Holding Company
1108:Former PTE bus operators
623:British Transport Police
444:British Transport Police
399:British Transport Hotels
367:Associated British Ports
1231:London Traffic Act 1924
603:British Waterways Board
497:Associated Humber Lines
426:London Transport Museum
418:National Railway Museum
377:British Transport Films
202:British Waterways Board
16:Industrial organisation
609:London Transport Board
591:British Railways Board
513:Travel & Holidays:
383:Hotels & Catering:
207:London Transport Board
192:British Railways Board
162:; 60 years ago
144:; 76 years ago
1266:Bus Services Act 2017
1236:Road Traffic Act 1930
1103:Defunct manufacturers
950:Wragg, David (2009).
906:"Transport Act, 1947"
722:United Kingdom portal
693:Minister of Transport
582:government under the
539:Canal and River Trust
517:Thomas Cook & Son
475:British Road Services
271:Great Western Railway
133:Statutory corporation
1215:Star Omnibus Company
976:"Transport Act 1962"
698:statutory instrument
676:perpetual succession
648:Dr. Richard Beeching
573:integrated ticketing
43:improve this article
1288: •
353:Eastern Coach Works
329:Red and White Group
160:1 January 1964
142:1 January 1948
125:
1261:Transport Act 1985
1251:Transport Act 1968
1246:Transport Act 1962
1241:Transport Act 1947
1224:Parliamentary Acts
1118:Scottish Bus Group
983:legislation.gov.uk
913:legislation.gov.uk
891:The London Gazette
871:The London Gazette
851:The London Gazette
831:The London Gazette
813:legislation.gov.uk
800:legislation.gov.uk
787:legislation.gov.uk
774:legislation.gov.uk
605:(inland waterways)
584:Transport Act 1962
577:Harold Macmillan's
515:the travel agents
457:London Underground
357:Green Line Coaches
251:Transport Act 1947
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636:Sir Cyril Hurcomb
387:Railway Executive
304:Railway Executive
237:as a part of its
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54:Find sources:
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32:This article
30:
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986:. Retrieved
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259:Lord Hurcomb
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129:Company type
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1056:History of
347:(from 1955
306:traded as "
1312:Categories
1142:Regulation
1018:0333419006
760:References
523:Waterways:
167:1964-01-01
149:1948-01-01
69:newspapers
1072:Charabanc
696:times by
566:Abolition
507:Tramways:
481:Shipping:
471:Pickfords
450:Railways:
331:in 1950.
185:Successor
179:Dissolved
708:See also
629:Chairmen
499:and the
493:Scottish
428:(now in
424:and the
412:, south
405:Museums:
281:and the
267:Big Four
99:May 2017
1065:General
668:statute
599:(docks)
489:Ireland
440:Police:
410:Clapham
261:, with
165: (
157:Defunct
147: (
139:Founded
83:scholar
1168:London
1015:
988:10 May
958:
918:10 May
485:France
477:(BRS).
414:London
373:Films:
363:Docks:
351:) and
321:Buses:
85:
78:
71:
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56:
979:(PDF)
909:(PDF)
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