Ministry of Roads is indeed a Private Eye type title for a 'consensus' in the corrridors of power that railways don't matter; roads are superior and should have priority. Variations of the term have been circulating in railway enthusiast circles as well as railway worker circles for decades.

The heavy anti rail bias of the 1960's has been muted by the growth of 'green' awareness, and the fact that rail is now another source of profit making. Before the pre John Major era of British politics was another pulblicly owned industry which the Dribbling Right couldn't gat their sticky fingers on to milk for profits.

The UK taxpayer and rail passenger is now bing ripped off big time, but lots of companies are making fat profits out of rail now, so the Dribbling Right are quiet.

Ian Fyvie

PS Ross - thanks for the background info above