Robert Reid (railway executive, born 1921)

Not to be confused with Bob Reid (executive).

Sir Robert Basil Reid CBE (7 February 1921 – 17 December 1993) was chairman of the British Railways Board from 1983 until^[1] 1990.^[2]

The son of Sir Robert Niel Reid, Governor of Assam from 1937 to 1942,^[3] he was educated at Malvern and Brasenose. During World War II he was an Officer in the Royal Tank Regiment.^[4] When peace returned he joined the LNER as a Traffic Apprentice. When the "Big Four" merged he rose steadily within British Railways. By 1961 he was a District Passenger manager and by 1967 Planning Manager of the Scottish Region. He was General Manager of the Southern Region from 1974 to 1976; and the Executive Member for Marketing from 1977 to 1980. He became Chief Executive in 1980, and held that post until his appointment as Chairman. He was a Freeman of the City of London and Master of the Information Technologists' Company from 1988 to 1989.^[5]

Business positions
Preceded by Sir Peter Parker	Chairman of the British Railways Board 1983–1990	Succeeded by Sir Bob Reid

Notes

1. Hansard
2. Gourvish, Terry (2004). British Rail 1974-97 From Integration to Privatisation. Oxford University Press. p. 120. ISBN 0199269092.
3. Sir Robert Reid. The Times (London, England), Monday, 26 Oct 1964; pg. 15; Issue 56152
4. ‘REID, Sir Robert (Basil)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 9 April 2015
5. Obituary, Independent newspaper (UK)