Catalogue description Transport Ministries: Railways and Inland Waterways(RIW Series) Files

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Details of MT 115
Reference: MT 115
Title: Transport Ministries: Railways and Inland Waterways(RIW Series) Files
Description:

This series consists of Transport ministries' files concerning the policy and supervision of the railway and inland waterways undertakings of the British Transport Commission, including the London Transport Executive.

The series contains material on the operation of inland waterways and on general railway matters, including the withdrawal of unremunerative services, the implications of the Channel Tunnel and investment and light railways.

The records in this series cover the post-war period up to the abolition of the division in 1963, including some files of its predecessor divisions.

The papers include a selection of files of the Committee of Inquiry into Inland Waterways, 1955-1959. Additionally, the papers of the London Travel Committee (1958-1961), the Committee of Inquiry into London Transport (1953-1955).

The series includes files re-registered from the LP series (otherwise in MT 135).

Date: 1934-1970
Separated material:

See also MT 135

Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: RIW Series
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Ministry of Shipping, Directorate of Shipping in Port, 1939-1941

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Docks and Canal Division, 1953-1954

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Ports and Inland Waterways Division, 1954-1955

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Railways and Inland Waterways Division, 1955-1959

Ministry of Transport, Docks and Canal Division, 1934-1941

Ministry of Transport, Docks and Canal Division, 1946-1953

Ministry of Transport, Nationalised Transport Division B, 1962-1970

Ministry of Transport, Ports and Transit Division, 1938-1941

Ministry of Transport, Railways and Inland Waterways Division, 1959-1962

Ministry of Transport, Waterways and Railways General Division, 1962-1962

Ministry of War Transport, Port and Transit Control, 1941-1946

Physical description: 313 file(s)
Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

from 1982 to 1997 Department of Transport

Administrative / biographical background:

In 1955 the Ports and Inland Waterways Division, known until 1954 as the Docks and Canals Division, was split up, when the Inland Waterways element was merged with the Railways Division and Ports and Ports Emergency Planning Divisions transferred to the Shipping Operations Group.

The new Railways and Inland Waterways Division was responsible for the policy and supervision of the railways and inland waterways undertakings of the British Transport Commission, including the London Transport Executive. Following the abolition of the commission under the Transport Act 1962, responsibility for inland waterways was assigned to Nationalised Transport B. Division and a separate administrative group was formed to deal with railways.

The division was also responsible for considering and implementing the recommendations and reports of the Transport Users' Consultative Committees set up under section 6 of the Transport Act 1947 and provided the secretariat of the London Travel Committee. It worked in conjunction with International Inland Transport Branch on matters arising from international railway conventions and advised on ministerial appointments to the Thames Conservancy and the Thames Passenger Services Committee.

The division was also charged with consideration of legislation, both public and private, and delegated legislation, including byelaws affecting railways and inland waterways, and applications for abandoning unnecessary or derelict canals.

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