BRB (Residuary) abolished

The British government has finally abolished a public body set up at the birth rail privitisation to manage non-operational property owned by British Rail.

BRB (Residuary) (BRBR) Ltd was set up in 1997, taking over some residual functions from British Rail as Railtrack took over the management of Britain’s rail infrastructure.

One of BRBR main responsibilities was to oversee non-operational rail property and defunct infrastructure.

In 2010, the government announced plans to cull and merge 250 public organisations and quangos by 2015 in a bid to save £ 2.6 billion.

The BRB (Residuary) was officially closed on September 30 and its responsibilities shared among other rail and transport authorities. Among them are the Highways Agency Historical Railways Estate, which is now responsible for legacy bridges, tunnels and viaducts, the London & Continental Railways, which has become the managing agent for Waterloo International and a number of other properties with ‘development potential’, and Network Rail, which has taken charge of several properties that are more closely related to the operational railway, including memorials and the Old Dalby test track.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has inherited the intellectual property rights of RDDS-managed documentation, which includes drawings and maintenance reports.




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