Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I find what I’m looking for?Searching will only find exact matches of the words used in the catalogue, so if you haven’t found what you want it’s often best to try several related terms. Think laterally. Also consider using wildcard searching (*). More information on wildcard searching can be found in the ‘How to search’ section.
How do I access the documents I’ve found in the catalogue?Email the Corporate Archives team with a list of the ArchiveRefNum of all the records you wish to consult, together with a brief description of what you are researching. We will then contact you with any questions we have regarding your list and to offer you an appointment to view the records.
Please be aware that as we only have a small reading room we can get booked up quite far in advance. We also have a restriction in place regarding how many files can be consulted in 1 week. This changes according to the business of the reading room but will be between 25 and 50 files.
Can I get a copy of material in the collections? If you are consulting records onsite, you are welcome to bring a camera with you to take your own photographs. We can sometimes provide a copy of material for those unable to attend, unless it might cause any damage to the material being copied. This only applies however, if the quantity to be copied is quite small.
How can I get more detail about the records in my search results list?To find out more information about records in your search results list click on any part of the relevant entry and the full record description will display. You can then click on the SysID to view the catalogue hierarchy and browse other related records. For further help with searching the catalogue, click on the ‘How to search’ tab on the left hand side of this page.
Why are some SysID’s missing, i.e. not sequential?Some records will simply have been deaccessioned over time (i.e. they will have been removed from a collection because we have established that they are of no historical value) and no longer exist. Some records are closed, for example they may contain sensitive information which could compromise the safety and security of the transport network; or confidential information about an individual who is still alive.
Why can’t I see an image of the document online?The catalogue only contains descriptions of the documents in our archive and not digitised images of them.