Serpell himself suffered heavy criticism and personal attacks. According to his obituary, he was even 'harangued by the guard on his train home to Devon.' He found the personal criticism unfair. In his view, he had merely produced a report to answer a question put by a Minister and it was 'no fault of his that the question was not a sensible one'. Tam Dalyell later claimed that Serpell also regretted that he was asked to look at the issue of railway services solely in terms of economic impact, as this did not allow him to express his opinion that 'railway use was of service to the environment'. Nevertheless, his name became 'synonymous with cuts and closures'.