TV celebrity and critic Ian Hislop is to star in a BBC4 programme dedicated to the social effect of the 1960's Beeching report that effectively re-shaped Britain and the lives of thousands following the widespread closure of much of the UK's railway system.

In the 1960s Dr Richard Beeching completed a report into the re-structure and re-modelling of the British rail system.

His report surprised and indeed upset many by his reference for the need to make spread closures to what he deemed where rarely used and unprofitable rail lines and stations.

The rail report became know as the 'Beeching Axe' and was originally commissioned following a decade of focus and commitment to the UK's road system and economic concern over what was considered a decline in the use of the rail system in both the passenger and the freight sectors.

Being more concerned over the cost saving element of the report there followed a decade of line and station closures that eventually led to over four thousand miles of railway line being closed and over three thousand railway stations being closed.

The 'Beeching Axe' will be remembered forever in the minds of the thousands of workers and societies who were greatly affected by the wide spread rail closures it inevitably instigated and this is the focus of the BBC4 documentary, unfortunately no screening date has been set for the programme.

Beeching himself died in 1985.

This rail news article has been provided by 'Article Feeder' from News Media Studios