British Transport Hotels Ltd (1963-83)
Further change occurred in 1962 with the abolition of the BTC and the transfer of its rail businesses to the newly established British Railways Board. The BRB Chairman, Richard Beeching, argued for the retention of the hotels within the BRB's rail portfolio, and BTH Ltd was established to manage them. The intention was to give BTH a high degree of autonomy, including bringing in outside expertise in the hotel business to the BTH board. The Railways Act 1968 empowered BTH to expand beyond the railway estate, and the Company considered opening a number of new hotels. In the event only one such hotel was opened - the Old Course at St Andrews - in 1968 before further expansion was stopped by the Conservative government elected in 1970. The remainder of the hotel estate was rationalised - the 34 hotels inherited by BTH being reduced to 29 by 1979.
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