The British Railways Board (BRB) was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail. It did not operate in Northern Ireland, where railways were the responsibility of the Government of Northern Ireland. It was a statutory corporation, consisting of a chairman and nine to fifteen other members, who were appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport. [1]