Sir Robert Basil Reid CBE (7 February 1921 – 17 December 1993) was chairman of the British Railways Board from 1983 until^[1] 1990.^[2]

The son of Sir Robert Niel Reid, Governor of Assam from 1937 to 1942,^[3] he was educated at Malvern and Brasenose. During World War II he was an Officer in the Royal Tank Regiment.^[4] When peace returned he joined the LNER as a Traffic Apprentice. When the "Big Four" merged he rose steadily within British Railways. By 1961 he was a District Passenger manager and by 1967 Planning Manager of the Scottish Region. He was General Manager of the Southern Region from 1974 to 1976; and the Executive Member for Marketing from 1977 to 1980. He became Chief Executive in 1980, and held that post until his appointment as Chairman. He was a Freeman of the City of London and Master of the Information Technologists' Company from 1988 to 1989.^[5]