There is more than one angle to the Government's pro-
posal to decentralise the railways as far as possible. It is more than a matter of administration—on the advantage of decentralisation opinions can differ—it is a matter of name. Before nationalisation there was a real spirit of local patriotism and loyalties among railwaymen. The Great Western was something they were genuinely proud of and proud to be working for. The same was true of the North Eastern or Midland. Western Region, or Eastern, or any of the others is something quite different—merely an administrative division of a vast amorphous concern called British Railways, and a real loss of incentive results. Whether anything can be done about it now is questionable. But the subject deserves an imaginative approach, for something, I am assured by people who know railways better than I do, has been lost that is well worth regaining.
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