In the 1950s, Britain had a massive railway network.

A decade later it was barely recognisable. Country stations and branch lines were axed in the name of progress; steam locomotives were consigned to the scrapheap.

Two forces were behind this transformation: the Modernisation Plan and Dr Richard Beeching.

For better and for worse, this is the story of how and why our railways were changed forever.

Composed entirely from unseen colour film, witness the lost age of British Railways.