New trains, less traffic

摘要

During the 1980s we all became used to rapid technological change. Buoyant world markets were fuelling demands for more and more consumer products which were largely being satisfied by ever more complex electrical goods, some of which, such as the Sinclair C5, were to become standing jokes while others, such as the mobile phone, were to become part of our everyday lives. The railways, too, were undergoing change as more modern technology became available, enabling time-expired locomotives to be withdrawn in favour of modern multiple units, old-fashioned heavy works to be closed and services improved. There was even the first glimmer of what we were soon to realise would be sectorisation as new localised liveries began to appear, breaking the monotony of the old BR corporate colours.