Book review The Chiltern Railways Story

The Chiltern Railways Story by Hugh Jones tells the story of the creation and success of Chiltern Railways from the 1990s to the present day.

The book is in two parts. The first half, written by Hugh, is the history of the company and of the development of the railway service from Marylebone to Birmingham under its stewardship. The second half is a series of personal tales from the key players involved in the railway side of the creation and development of the company which Hugh recorded during his research for the book.

Along with the text, there are copious photographs which illustrate well what the company has acheieved.

The book is unashamedly pro-Chiltern and accepts that in the case of this company privatisation has worked well for the railway. It is full of fascinating detail on the convuluted processes which brought the company into being, and emphaises time and again how the company's success was down to the vision and determination of the key railway players involved.

If it has a weakness as a book to read, it is that the history is so convuluted that at times the flow of the story is difficult to follow. Also, I would question whether the story of the Gerrards Cross Tunnel collapse makes an appropriate opening chapter, though undoubtedly it does highlight all that makes Chiltern such a special train operating company.

Overall, the book is a must read for anyone who uses the rail links between Birmingham and London, and for those students of business and politics who will study rail privatisation in the future.

Please note that the author of this review is a personal friend of Hugh Jones.