Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching (21 April 1913 – 23 March 1985), commonly known as Dr Beeching, was a physicist and engineer who for a short but very notable time was chairman of British Railways. He became a household name in Britain in the early 1960s for his report The Reshaping of British Railways, commonly referred to as The Beeching Report, which led to far-reaching changes in the railway network, popularly known as the Beeching Axe.
The Lord Beeching | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Beeching 21 April 1913 Sheerness, England |
| Died | 23 March 1985 (aged 71) East Grinstead, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Beeching Report on railway closures |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Title | Baron Beeching |
| Spouse |
Ella Tiley (m. 1938) |
As a result of the report, just over 4,000 route miles (6,400 kilometres) were removed from the system on cost and efficiency grounds, leaving Britain with 13,721 miles (22,082 km) of railway lines in 1966. A further 2,000 miles (3,200 km) were lost by the end of the 1960s, while other lines were reduced to freight use only.