An editorial in The Guardian in January 1983 described it as 'a really rotten report', while The Glasgow Herald reported that its publication 'attracted almost universal condemnation' causing David Howell, the Secretary of State for Transport, to immediately acknowledge that the Thatcher Government was unlikely to accept any of the 'more extreme options' it outlined. Meanwhile, leader of the opposition Michael Foot called for the report to 'be "strangled" as soon as possible' and the leader of the National Union of Railwaymen also opposed the report which he described as 'a disaster'.
The report in question generated strong negative reactions from various sources, including The Guardian, The Glasgow Herald, David Howell (Secretary of State for Transport), Michael Foot (Opposition Leader), and the National Union of Railwaymen.