The Navigators

Dean Andrews - John
Tom Craig - Mick
Joe Duttine - Paul
Steve Huison - Jim
Venn Tracey - Gerry
Sean Glenn - Harpic

Director Ken Loach marks his return to television with this drama about the time when British Rail was privatised in 1995. The script was written by former railway contract worker Rob Dawber, he sadly died shortly after filming was completed. Loach’s film carries his customary strong political message, examining the shift from public services to private enterprise through the lives of the workforce at the sharp end.

The Navigators follows the fortunes of a group of railway workers based at a South Yorkshire depot during the privatisation of British Rail. The film opens with the men being told by their supervisor Harpic (Sean Glenn), they no longer work for British Rail but East Midland Infrastructure, and will have to accept new work practises and contracts. They realise that the changes in their working lives and re-organisation of the rail network will affect their homes and families irrevocably. As their understanding of rail privatisation begins to unravel, their cheerful sense of camaraderie begins to fragment. Under the new regime, the customer and company profits take precedence over rail safety and the welfare of the track workers. While in principle this sounds great, in reality this new arrangement is implemented chaotically, resulting in an inevitable tragedy. It's a fairly relentless drama that doesn't hide its opinions under a bushel, it's effective and maybe even an important chronicle of railway history.