British Railways Board
The Board traded as British Rail from 1965 until its privatisation | |
| Company type | Statutory corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | British Transport Commission |
| Founded | 1 January 1963 |
| Defunct | October 2001 |
| Fate | Privatised |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Parent | Department for Transport |
The British Railways Board (BRB) was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that operated from 1963 to 2001. Until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand name British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail. It did not operate railways in Northern Ireland, where railways were the responsibility of the Government of Northern Ireland.
It is a statutory corporation, which when operating consisted of a chairman and nine to fifteen other members appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport. The Board, now reduced to a minimum membership of a chairman and one other member, continues to exist to hold the French law benefits and obligations of the Channel Tunnel Rail Usage Contract.