In an effort to reduce the cost of running the nationalized railway system of the UK, the British government commissioned a report to find ways to save money. Authored by Dr. Richard Beeching, the report concluded that many of the railway's lines were costing more to operate than they earned and called for the elimination of unprofitable routes and closure of a large percentage of railway stations. More than 2,000 stations were closed as a result of the "Beeching Axe." What became of Beeching?
Definition: (noun) An outer adjacent area of any place.
Synonyms: environs.
Usage: These skulking visitors would keep about the purlieus of the camp until daylight; when, on the first stir of life among the sleepers, they would scamper off until they reached some rising ground.