With an aging rail network in need of modernising, British Railways started to introduce new diesel and electric locomotives to replace steam locomotives.
The 1980s saw the start of the penultimate chapter of BR's existence. Five brands started to replace different parts of the company; ScotRail for Scottish rail passenger journeys, Inter-City for long-distance passenger journeys, Network SouthEast for mainly commuter journeys to London, Regional Railways for the remaining passenger journeys, and Railfreight for all freight transport.