The rail industry has been remembering the chairman of Railnews, Cyril Bleasdale OBE, who recently passed away.
Cyril, who was 87, was one of the driving forces behind the formation of Railnews Ltd when the title was acquired from the British Railways Board in 1996. He served as the managing director until last year.
He died in hospital on Sunday 27 March after a short illness. He is survived by his wife Katy and their two daughters, Jane and Emma.
Cyril’s role in the railways goes back to 1950, when he became a booking clerk. He later occupied a number of senior management posts under British Rail, including director Intercity, general manager London Midland Region and director ScotRail. He retired from British Rail in 1994.
David McLoughlin, CEO of Business Daily Group, said: “Although I didn’t know him personally, everyone working in rail knew of Cyril and the vital role he played. At British Rail, he established a reputation as an important and well-respected figure. At the helm of Railnews, he was crucial in shaping industry discussion and highlighting the way forward.
“At this sad time, our thoughts are with his family. They are also with his Railnews family – a longstanding and well respected media business that continues to serve railway people so phenomenally well.”
