A certain Dr Beeching tried to remove a third of the UK's rail system in 1963 and almost succeeded. A lot of useful lines survived. But there are still places where recovery is impossible because lines that could be useful now have been built over.
The Isle of Wight is the size of a city (140,000 people in 380 square kilometres) and its rail network used to be dense enough to feel like the tube. A real shame, if you ask me.
But you say this happened 50 years ago, so why are we blaming Thatcherism for the fact the UK hates its railways? It seems to be a more deep-seated feeling. Nothing is 'mere'. — Richard P. Feynman
