List of early British railway companies
Encyclopedia
The following list sets out to show all the railway companies set up by Acts of Parliament in the 19th century until the late 1850s. Most of them became constituent parts of the emerging main-line railway companies, often immediately after being built. Some continued as independent companies until the 1923 Grouping
; a few retained that independence until 1947. They have been listed under Scottish
; and English
and Welsh
early railways; and under the later main line company which absorbed them.
Each of the main line companies after the Grouping has an article listing all companies who became part of, and jointly part of, individual companies. Many of those had been in separate existence since being set up in the 19th century, and were only in 1923 losing that individuality.
The list is by no means complete: in 1846 alone there were 272 railways agreed by Act of Parliament
, although not all of those were built, since it was the time of the Railway Mania
. In addition lines might be extensions to existing ones, but floated as a separate company to separate the risk, and to ring-fence subscriptions, or promoted by a company which was mostly financed by an existing company. An example is the Dore and Chinley Railway which was floated as a company and then adopted and largely financed by the Midland.
Caledonian Railway
Under the Railways Act 1921
, the Caledonian Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
on 1 July 1923.
Independent Lines operated by the Caledonian Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
Under the Railways Act 1921
, the Glasgow and South Western Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
on 1 January 1923.
Great North of Scotland Railway
Under the Railways Act 1921
, the Great North of Scotland Railway became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
on 1 January 1923.
Highland Railway
Under the Railways Act 1921
, the Highland Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
on 1 January 1923.
North British Railway
Under the Railways Act 1921
, the North British Railway became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
on 1 January 1923.
of the GWR which was a very large company even pre-1900.
Later acquired:
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
; a few retained that independence until 1947. They have been listed under Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
early railways; and under the later main line company which absorbed them.
Each of the main line companies after the Grouping has an article listing all companies who became part of, and jointly part of, individual companies. Many of those had been in separate existence since being set up in the 19th century, and were only in 1923 losing that individuality.
The list is by no means complete: in 1846 alone there were 272 railways agreed by Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, although not all of those were built, since it was the time of the Railway Mania
Railway Mania
The Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
. In addition lines might be extensions to existing ones, but floated as a separate company to separate the risk, and to ring-fence subscriptions, or promoted by a company which was mostly financed by an existing company. An example is the Dore and Chinley Railway which was floated as a company and then adopted and largely financed by the Midland.
Caledonian RailwayCaledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
(incorporated 1845)
Under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the Caledonian Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
on 1 July 1923.
- Aberdeen RailwayAberdeen RailwayThe Aberdeen Railway was a railway that ran mainly along the North East coast of Scotland south from Aberdeen to on the Arbroath and Forfar Railway. There were branches to Montrose and Brechin...
opened in stages between 1848 and 1853 - Brechin and Edzell District Railway
- Cathcart District RailwayCathcart District RailwayThe Cathcart District Railway was authorised on 7 September 1880. The eastern section to Cathcart opened to Mount Florida station on 1 March 1886. The line was completed through to the first Cathcart station on 25 May 1886...
- Crieff and Comrie RailwayCrieff and Comrie RailwayThe Crieff and Comrie Railway was incorporated on 25 July 1890 following the abandonment of a previous scheme in 1856. The line opened in July 1893 and was operated by the Caledonian Railway, and being absorbed by the same in August 1898....
authorised 1890 - Crieff and Methven Junction Railway opened 1867
- Crieff Junction RailwayCrieff Junction RailwayThe Crieff Junction Railway was constituted to link Crieff to the then Scottish Central Railway, later part of the Caledonian Railway at Gleneagles.The line opened on 13 March 1856 and was absorbed by the Scottish Central Railway on 29 June 1865....
opened 1856 - Dunblane, Doune and Callander RailwayDunblane, Doune and Callander RailwayThe Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway had been incorporated in 1846, but the powers were initially unexercised. Ten years later construction commenced, with Callander being reached in 1858...
incorporated in 1846 - Dundee and Newtyle RailwayDundee and Newtyle RailwayThe Dundee and Newtyle Railway opened in 1831 and was the first railway in the north of Scotland. It was built to carry goods from Strathmore to the port of Dundee and was chartered with an Act of Parliament that received royal assent in 26 May 1826 and opened in 1831. The railway originally ran...
opened 1831 (incorporated in Scottish Central Railway) - Glasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayGlasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayThe Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway company was formed in 1837 to provide a railway link between Glasgow and Paisley, Scotland. It was promoted jointly by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway....
opened 12 August 1840. - Glasgow Central RailwayGlasgow Central RailwayThe Glasgow Central Railway was a railway that ran from Maryhill in the north west of Glasgow through the West End and City Centre to Rutherglen and Newton to the south east of the city.- Early days :...
; opened 26 November 1894 - Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway opened 1831 as the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway
- Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock RailwayGlasgow, Paisley and Greenock RailwayThe Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was an early railway, which merged with the Caledonian Railway. It was created to provide train services between Greenock and Glasgow.-History:...
opened 29 March 1840; merged with the Caledonian RailwayCaledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
1847 - Hamilton and Strathaven RailwayHamilton and Strathaven RailwayThe Hamilton and Strathaven Railway was an historic railway in Scotland. It ran from a junction with the Hamilton Branch of the Caledonian Railway to a terminus at Strathaven...
opened 6 August 1860; taken over by the Caledonian RailwayCaledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
1864 - Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire RailwayLanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway- Early days :The Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was authorised in 1891, and opened in stages between 26 November 1894 and 1 October 1896.On 16 August 1909 the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was absorbed into the Caledonian Railway...
authorised in 1891 - Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Railway opened Comrie to St Fillans 1 October 1901; opened to Balqhidder 1 May 1905
- Perth, Almond Valley & Methven RailwayPerth, Almond Valley & Methven RailwayThe Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Railway ran from Almond Valley Junction, 1½ miles north of Perth to the small town of Methven 6½ miles along the Almond Valley....
opened 1858 - Scottish Central RailwayScottish Central RailwayThe Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary to the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Perth...
(to PerthPerth, ScotlandPerth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and DundeeDundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
), formed in 1845 - Scottish North Eastern RailwayScottish North Eastern RailwayThe Scottish North Eastern Railway was a railway company in Scotland created when the Aberdeen Railway amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway on 29 July 1856...
(to AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
) - Wishaw and Coltness RailwayWishaw and Coltness RailwayThe Wishaw and Coltness Railway was an early Scottish railway. It ran for approximately 11 miles from Chapel Colliery, at Coltness, North Lanarkshire, to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, near Gartsherrie...
Independent Lines operated by the Caledonian Railway
- Callander and Oban RailwayCallander and Oban RailwayThe Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
opened 1 July 1880 - Killin RailwayKillin RailwayThe Killin Railway opened to traffic on 13 March 1886, linking the Callander and Oban Railway to Killin.- History :Passenger services between and were withdrawn at the outbreak of the Second World War on 11 September 1939, and were not reinstated after the war...
, opened 13 March 1886 - Lanarkshire and Ayrshire RailwayLanarkshire and Ayrshire RailwayThe Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway was a railway company in Scotland built in the late 19th century that provided services between Ardrossan and Glasgow, with branches to Irvine and Kilbirnie. The line was operated by the Caledonian Railway with an aim to compete with the Glasgow and South...
opened 1888
Glasgow and South Western RailwayGlasgow and South Western RailwayThe Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
(title assumed 1850)
Under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the Glasgow and South Western Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
on 1 January 1923.
- Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway opened 6 November 1831; became the dual-tracked Ardrossan Railway on 23 July 1840
- Bridge of Weir RailwayBridge of Weir RailwayThe Bridge of Weir Railway ran from Elderslie, Scotland, to Bridge of Weir. It was closed in January 1983.- Formation :The line from Elderslie to Bridge of Weir was built originally as the Bridge of Weir Railway, which had opened to passengers in 1864 between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir...
opened 1864 - Glasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayGlasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayThe Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway company was formed in 1837 to provide a railway link between Glasgow and Paisley, Scotland. It was promoted jointly by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway....
opened 12 August 1840. - Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr RailwayGlasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr RailwayThe Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway was a railway in Scotland that provided train services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. For a short period, it also provided West Coast services between Glasgow and London. Opened in stages between 1839 and 1848, the line ran from Paisley in the...
opened 12 August 1840 - Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint RailwayGlasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint RailwayThe Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway was a railway co-owned by Caledonian Railway and Glasgow and South Western Railway and was an amalgation of two different lines: the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway and the Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway.-Glasgow, Barrhead and...
opened 29 September 1848 - Greenock and Ayrshire RailwayGreenock and Ayrshire RailwayThe Greenock and Ayrshire Railway ran from Greenock, Scotland to Bridge of Weir. It closed progressively between 1959 and 1983. Despite its name it never reached Ayrshire; however by means of the line to Johnstone on the Bridge of Weir Railway trains could head directly to Ayrshire.- Formation :The...
opened 23 December 1869 - Kilmarnock and Troon RailwayKilmarnock and Troon RailwayThe Kilmarnock and Troon Railway was the first railway line in Scotland authorised by Act of Parliament, in 1808; the engineer was William Jessop. It was the first railway in Scotland to use a steam locomotive; and it was the only one in Scotland for fourteen years...
: First railway in Scotland authorised by Act of ParliamentAct of ParliamentAn Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, opened 6 July 1812; originally worked by horses, converted to steam operation in 1817 - Maidens and Dunure Railway opened 17 May 1906
- Paisley and Renfrew RailwayPaisley and Renfrew RailwayThe Paisley and Renfrew railway was a railway line from the town of Paisley to its neighbouring town Renfrew; and to the River Clyde at Renfrew wharf. The railway was built to the Scotch gauge of...
opened 21 July 1835; Scotch gaugeScotch gaugeScotch gauge was the name given to a track gauge, that was adopted by early 19th century railways mainly in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It differed from the gauge of that was used on some early lines in England; and from the standard gauge of...
railway originally locomotive hauled, then down graded to horse operation. Reopened as dual track, standard gauge, line 1 May 1866.
Great North of Scotland RailwayGreat North of Scotland RailwayThe Great North of Scotland Railway was one of the smaller Scottish railways before the grouping, operating in the far north-east of the country. It was formed in 1845 and received its Parliamentary approval on June 26, 1846, following over two years of local meetings...
(incorporated 1846)
Under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the Great North of Scotland Railway became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
on 1 January 1923.
- Aberdeen and Turriff Railway
- Alford Valley Railway built 1859
- Banffshire Railway
- Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway
- Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway
- Deeside Railway
- Deeside Extension Railway
- Formartine and Buchan RailwayFormartine and Buchan RailwayThe Formartine and Buchan Railway was a railway in the north east of Scotland. It was built to link Fraserburgh and Peterhead with Aberdeen. It had a junction with the main line of the Great North of Scotland Railway at Dyce.-History:...
- Inverurie and Old Meldrum Railway
- Keith and Dufftown RailwayKeith and Dufftown Railway (GNoSR)The Keith and Dufftown Railway is an historic railway in Scotland that ran between Dufftown and Keith. The company was formed in 1857, the line was opened in 1862, and it was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1866.-History:...
- Morayshire RailwayMorayshire RailwayThe Morayshire Railway was the first railway to be built north of Aberdeen, in Scotland. It received royal assent in 1846 but construction did not start until 1851 due to the economic conditions existing in the United Kingdom at the time. The railway was built in two phases with the section from...
opened 10 August 1852 - Strathspey RailwayStrathspey Railway (GNoSR)Strathspey Railway is an historic railway in Scotland that ran from Boat of Garten to Dufftown.-History:The line was opened on 1 July 1863 between Dufftown and Abernethy . It was extended to meet up with the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway at Boat of Garten on 1 August 1866...
Highland RailwayHighland RailwayThe Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
(title assumed 1865)
Under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the Highland Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
on 1 January 1923.
- Dingwall and Skye RailwayDingwall and Skye RailwayThe Dingwall and Skye Railway was authorised on 5 July 1865 with the aim of providing a route to Skye and the Herbrides. However due to local objections, another Act of Parliament was required before work could commence. This was passed on 29 May 1868...
opened 19 August 1870 - Duke of Sutherland's RailwayDuke of Sutherland's RailwayThe Duke of Sutherland's Railway was a railway built by the Duke of Sutherland when the Sutherland Railway which had powers to build north to Brora, stopped at Golspie...
opened 19 June 1871 - Findhorn Railway opened 18 April 1859
- Inverness and Aberdeen Junction RailwayInverness and Aberdeen Junction RailwayInverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway is an historic railway in Scotland.- History :It was authorised by an Act of Parliament on 21 July 1856 as an extension to the Inverness and Nairn Railway, the line was opened in stages:...
opened 18 August 1858 - Inverness and Nairn RailwayInverness and Nairn RailwayThe Inverness and Nairn Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway.- History :The line was opened in the year 1855 and connected the towns of Inverness and Nairn. Opening had been delayed from 1 August 1855 due to delays in the contractor's...
(INR) opened 5 November 1855 - Inverness and Perth Junction RailwayInverness and Perth Junction RailwayThe Inverness and Perth Junction Railway was built to link the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres and Perth and Dunkeld Railway, ultimately absorbing the latter.- History :...
opened 9 September 1863 - Inverness and Ross-shire RailwayInverness and Ross-shire RailwayThe Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was incorporated on 3 July 1860 with the aim to build a line to Invergordon. The line opened in stages:* 11 June 1862 - Inverness to Dingwall* 23 March 1863 - Dingwall to Invergordon...
opened 23 March 1863 - Nairn and Keith Railway opened 1858 amalgamated with INR 1861
- Perth and Dunkeld RailwayPerth and Dunkeld RailwayThe Perth and Dunkeld Railway was built from Stanley Junction on the Scottish Midland Junction Railway to Birnam, on the opposite bank of the River Tay to Dunkeld.-History:...
opened 7 April 1856 - Sutherland RailwaySutherland RailwayThe Sutherland Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed in 1884 by the Highland Railway running through Sutherland, Scotland. Sutherland is a former county, and former districts of the Highland region....
opened 13 April 1868 - Sutherland and Caithness RailwaySutherland and Caithness RailwayThe Sutherland and Caithness Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed by the Highland Railway running through Sutherland and Caithness, Scotland. Caithness and Sutherland are former counties, and former districts of the Highland region.- History :...
opened 28 July 1874 - Wick and Lybster RailwayWick and Lybster RailwayThe Wick and Lybster Light Railway was a light railway worked by the Highland Railway in Caithness, Scotland following a coastal route south from Wick to Lybster. It was intended to profit from the fishery based in Lybster but the harbour declined not long after the line opened...
North British RailwayNorth British RailwayThe North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
(incorporated 1844)
Under the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the North British Railway became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
on 1 January 1923.
- Ballochney RailwayBallochney RailwayThe Ballochney Railway was an early mineral railway built near Airdrie, in the Monklands District of Scotland.The railway was Incorporated on 19 May 1826 and was opened on 8 May 1828. Its main function was intended to be the transportation of coal, but iron ore and passengers were also carried. It...
opened 8 August 1828 - Dundee and Arbroath RailwayDundee and Arbroath RailwayThe Dundee and Arbroath Railway was a railway link between those two towns in Scotland.-History:The railway company received its Parliamentary Act on 19 May 1836. It was planned as a gauge railway, because, at that time, it was expected to be a purely local railway with no connection to the...
- Edinburgh and Dalkeith RailwayEdinburgh and Dalkeith RailwayThe Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, also called the Innocent Railway, was Edinburgh's first railway. It carried coal from the mines in Lothian to its city centre terminus at St Leonards...
opened 1831 - Edinburgh and Glasgow RailwayEdinburgh and Glasgow RailwayThe Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was a railway built to link Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Act of Parliament for building the railway received its Royal Assent in 1838 which was open on 28 July 1863. Services started between Glasgow Queen Street and Haymarket on 21 February 1842. The line was...
opened 28 July 1863 - Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction RailwayEdinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction RailwayThe Edinburgh Suburban and South Side Junction Railway is a freight and former commuter railway which runs in a loop across the southern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It opened in 1884 for both freight and passenger services...
- Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank RailwayGlasgow, Yoker and Clydebank RailwayThe Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway is a Scottish railway, authorised in 1878, and absorbed into the North British Railway in 1897. It runs from Whiteinch to Clydebank.-Sources:*...
authorised in 1878 - Invergarry and Fort Augustus RailwayInvergarry and Fort Augustus RailwayThe Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway was a branch-line railway built in Scotland, and served by the Highland Railway, the North British Railway and later the London & North Eastern Railway- Beginnings :...
opened 1901 - Kincardine LineKincardine LineThe Kincardine Line was a railway in Clackmannanshire and Fife, Scotland connecting the stations in Alloa and near Dunfermline along the north shore of the Firth of Forth. A short branch line ran from Charlestown Junction to Charlestown on the shore of the Forth...
open to Kincardine in 1893, and on to Dunfermline in 1906 - Monkland and Kirkintilloch RailwayMonkland and Kirkintilloch RailwayThe Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was an early mineral railway running from a colliery at Monklands to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, Scotland....
first public steam railway in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
opened 1826 - Newburgh and North Fife RailwayNewburgh and North Fife RailwayThe Newburgh and North Fife Railway was a railway in Fife, Scotland that provided services between and Newburgh. The line is closed.- History :The railway was incorporated on 6 August 1897. The line opened on 25 January 1909...
- Slamannan RailwaySlamannan RailwayThe Slamannan Railway was an early mineral railway built near Slamannan, Falkirk, Scotland, where it had coal and iron ore.The railway was Incorporated on 3 July 1835 and was opened on 31 August 1840. Its main function was intended to be the transportation of coal and passengers, but iron ore was...
opened 31 August 1840 - Stirling and Dunfermline RailwayStirling and Dunfermline RailwayThe Stirling and Dunfermline Railway was a railway in Clackmannanshire and Fife, Scotland connecting the stations in Stirling and Dunfermline. It had a branch line from Alloa to Tillicoultry.-Closure:...
opened progressively between 1850 and 1853 - West Highland RailwayWest Highland RailwayThe West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
opened 7 August 1894 with an extension to Mallaig opened 1901.
English and Welsh early railways
This list of lines in England and Wales is ordered roughly by region, with the exceptionof the GWR which was a very large company even pre-1900.
East
- Great Eastern RailwayGreat Eastern RailwayThe Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
- Eastern Counties RailwayEastern Counties RailwayThe Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
(ECR) opened 20 June 1839; original 5 ft gauge converted to standard in 1845, absorbed into GER Aug 1862- Eastern Union Railway, incorporated 1844, opened 1846, absorbed 1847.
- Eastern Union and Hadleigh Junction Railway
- Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds Railway
- Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury and Halstead Railway, incorporated 1846, opened 1848
- East Anglia Railway. absorbed into Eastern Counties Railway, Jan 1852
- Saffron Walden Railway incorporated 1861, sponsored by ECR.
- Eastern Union Railway, incorporated 1844, opened 1846, absorbed 1847.
- Northern and Eastern RailwayNorthern and Eastern RailwayThe Northern & Eastern Railway operated one of the two main lines which eventually became the Great Eastern Railway: the other being the Eastern Counties Railway....
incorporated 1836 gauge conversion as with ECR - London and Blackwall RailwayLondon and Blackwall RailwayOriginally called the Commercial Railway, the London and Blackwall Railway was a railway line in east London, England. It ran from the Minories to Blackwall via Stepney, with a branch line to the Isle of Dogs, thus connecting central London to many of London's docks in the 19th and 20th centuries...
, opened 1840, extended to Tilbury with ECR 1854 (authorised 1852 as London, Tilbury and Southend RailwayLondon, Tilbury and Southend RailwayThe London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
(LT&SR)), absorbed by GER 1866. Started with non-standard gauge, converted 1849. - Ely, Haddenham and Sutton Railway (later Ely and St Ives Railway), authorised 1864, opened 1866, leased by ECR since opening, absorbed by GER 1897
- Norfolk Railway
- Colne Valley and Halstead RailwayColne Valley and Halstead RailwayThe Colne Valley and Halstead Railway is a closed railway between Haverhill, Suffolk and Chappel and Wakes Colne, Essex, in England.-History:...
, incorporated 1856 - Harwich Railway
- East Anglian Railways (the plural is correct!) formed by merger in 1847. Bankrupt in 1851, it was operated by arrangement by ECR until the takeover by GER.
- Lynn and Dereham Railway
- Lynn and Ely Railway
- Ely and Huntingdon Railway
- East Suffolk Railway (re-incorporation of the "Halesworth, Beccles and Hadiscoe Railway" in 1854), absorbed by ECR 1859
- Yarmouth and Haddiscoe Railway absorbed 1858
- Lowestoft and Beccles Railway absorbed 1858
- Eastern Counties Railway
- Midland and Great Northern Joint RailwayMidland and Great Northern Joint RailwayThe Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
incorporated 1893
Great Western Railway
- Great Western RailwayGreat Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
incorporated 1835, opened LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to MaidenheadMaidenheadMaidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
Bridge 4 June 1838, completed throughout to BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
30 June 1841- Hayle RailwayHayle RailwayThe Hayle Railway was an early Cornish railway, built to standard gauge, and opened in 1837. The railway served the engineering works and copper quays at Hayle with the copper mines of Redruth and Camborne carrying ore to the port and coal to the mines, before the construction of the Saltash Bridge...
opened 23 December 1837, closed for rebuilding 16 February 1852, reopened by West Cornwall RailwayWest Cornwall RailwayThe West Cornwall Railway was a railway company in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, formed in 1846 to operate the existing Hayle Railway between Hayle and Redruth and extend the railway to Penzance and Truro.... - Cheltenham and Great Western Union RailwayCheltenham and Great Western Union RailwayThe Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Swindon, Wiltshire, with Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England...
opened SwindonSwindonSwindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
to CirencesterCirencesterCirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
31 May 1841, opened throughout to Cheltenham 13 October 1847 - Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter RailwayThe Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
opened to BridgwaterBridgwaterBridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
14 June 1841, completed in stages to ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
1 May 1844, amalgamated with GWR 1 January 1876 - Cornwall Minerals RailwayCornwall Minerals RailwayThe Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
opened 1 June 1874 replacing and connecting several earlier railways and tramways. Amalgamated with GWR 1 July 1896- Par Tramway, construction started c.1841, completed north of Pontsmill 1847, extended to Par Harbour 1855
- Newquay Railway authorised by Act of Parliament 1844, completed 1849
- Lostwithiel and Fowey RailwayLostwithiel and Fowey RailwayThe Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway opened in 1869 as a broad gauge railway and links the port of Fowey in Cornwall with the Cornish Main Line at Lostwithiel...
opened 1 June 1869, closed 1 January 1880, transferred to CMR 27 June 1893 and reopened 1893 - Newquay and Cornwall Junction RailwayNewquay and Cornwall Junction RailwayThe Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway was a broad gauge railway intended to link the Cornwall Railway with the horse-worked Newquay Railway. It opened a short section to Nanpean in 1869, the remainder being built by the Cornwall Minerals Railway who took over the company in 1874...
opened 1 July 1869, transferred to CMR 1 June 1874
- Liskeard and Caradon RailwayLiskeard and Caradon RailwayThe Liskeard and Caradon Railway was a mineral railway in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, which opened in 1844 and closed in 1917. Its neighbour, the Liskeard and Looe Railway, opened in 1860 and is still operating as the Looe Valley Line.-History:...
opened 28 November 1844, vested in GWR 1 July 1909 - Shrewsbury and Chester Railway opened 4 November 1846, amalgamated with GWR 1 September 1854
- South Devon RailwaySouth Devon Railway CompanyThe South Devon Railway Company built and operated the railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England. It was a broad gauge railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel-Chronology:* 1844 South Devon Railway Act passed by parliament...
opened 30 May 1846, completed in stages to Plymouth 2 April 1849, amalgamated with GWR 1 February 1876- Torquay branch opened 18 December 1848
- South Devon and Tavistock RailwaySouth Devon and Tavistock RailwayThe South Devon and Tavistock Railway was a broad gauge railway linking Plymouth with Tavistock in Devon, England. It opened in 1859, was extended by the Launceston and South Devon Railway to Launceston, Cornwall, in 1865, and was closed in 1962....
opened 22 June 1859 - Dartmouth and Torbay RailwayDartmouth and Torbay RailwayThe Dartmouth and Torbay Railway was a broad gauge railway linking the South Devon Railway branch at Torquay with Kingswear in Devon, England. It was operated from the outset by the South Devon Railway....
completed 16 August 1864 - Launceston and South Devon Railway opened 22 June 1865
- Moretonhampstead and South Devon RailwayMoretonhampstead and South Devon RailwayThe Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway was a broad gauge railway which linked the South Devon Railway at Newton Abbot railway station with Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead, Devon, England.-History of the line:...
opened 4 July 1866 - Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon RailwayBuckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon RailwayThe Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway built the broad gauge railway line from Totnes to Buckfastleigh and Ashburton in Devon, England.-History:...
opened 1 May 1872
- Berks and Hants Railway opened ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
to HungerfordHungerfordHungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
21 December 1847 and ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
to BasingstokeBasingstokeBasingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
1 November 1848; Berks and Hants Extension Hungerford to DevizesDevizesDevizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
opened 11 November 1862 - Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth RailwayWilts, Somerset and Weymouth RailwayThe Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' with Weymouth in Dorset, England. Branches ran to Devizes, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury in Wiltshire, and to Radstock in Somerset. The majority of the line survives...
, opened ChippenhamChippenham, WiltshireChippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
to WestburyWestbury, WiltshireWestbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
5 September 1848; completed in stages to Weymouth 20 January 1857 - Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway opened 1 June 1849, amalgamated with GWR 1 September 1854
- South Wales RailwaySouth Wales RailwayThe South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
opened ChepstowChepstowChepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
to Landore 18 June 1850, Chepstow Bridge opened 19 June 1862, amalgamated with GWR 1 January 1862 - Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway opened 19 September 1851
- Vale of Neath RailwayVale of Neath RailwayThe Vale of Neath Railway was a broad gauge railway line from Neath to Merthyr Tydfil, in Glamorgan, Wales, and also operated the Swansea and Neath Railway which gave it access to the docks at Swansea...
opened 24 September 1851, amalgamated into GWR 1 February 1865 - West Cornwall RailwayWest Cornwall RailwayThe West Cornwall Railway was a railway company in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, formed in 1846 to operate the existing Hayle Railway between Hayle and Redruth and extend the railway to Penzance and Truro....
opened 11 March 1852 including previous Hayle Railway, transferred to GWR 1 January 1868 - Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway opened 11 July 1853
- Wycombe RailwayMarlow Branch LineThe Marlow Branch Line is a single track railway line between Maidenhead, Berkshire, Bourne End and Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. Passenger services are operated by First Great Western using Class 165 diesel trains...
opened 1 August 1854 - Abingdon Railway opened 2 June 1856
- Bridport Railway opened 12 November 1857, bought by GWR 1 July 1901, closed 5 May 1975 (see notes)
- Liskeard and Looe Union CanalLiskeard and Looe Union CanalThe Liskeard and Looe Union Canal is a derelict broad canal between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The canal is almost 6 miles long and had 24 locks. The Engineer was Robert Coad...
, railway opened 11 May 1858, vested in GWR 1 January 1923 - East Somerset RailwayEast Somerset RailwayThe East Somerset Railway is a heritage railway in Somerset, running between Cranmore and Mendip Vale. Prior to the Beeching Axe, the railway ran from Witham to Wells, meeting both the Cheddar Valley line and Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at the latter station.- History :The line was...
first stage opened 9 November 1858, completed 1 March 1862 - Great Western and Brentford Railway opened 18 July 1858
- Cornwall RailwayCornwall RailwayThe Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
opened to Truro 4 May 1859, extended to Falmouth 21 August 1863, amalgamated with GWR 1 July 1889 - West Midland Railway formed 1 July 1860, amalgamated with GWR 1 August 1863
- Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton RailwayOxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton RailwayThe Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
opened at Worcester 5 October 1850, completed from Wolverhampton to Oxford in stages by April 1854 - Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford RailwayNewport, Abergavenny and Hereford RailwayThe Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway line connecting the Welsh port city of Newport via Abergavenny, to the major English market town of Hereford.Sponsored by the LNWR, it opened on 6 December 1853...
opened 2 January 1851 - Worcester and Hereford Railway opened 25 July 1859
- Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
- Ely Valley Railway opened 1 August 1860
- Hayle Railway
Midlands
- Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayManchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayThe Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
(became Great Central Railway 1897) - Great Central RailwayGreat Central RailwayThe Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
incorporated 1897- Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayManchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayThe Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
: formed by an amalgamation of:- Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester RailwaySheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester RailwayThe Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early British railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-under-Lyne...
- Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction RailwaySheffield and Lincolnshire Junction RailwayThe Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway was an early British railway company which opened in 1849 between Sheffield and Gainsborough and Lincoln...
- Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction RailwayGreat Grimsby and Sheffield Junction RailwayThe Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway was an early British railway company which existed between 1845 and 1847 with the intention of providing rail services between Grimsby, New Holland and Gainsborough in the county of Lincolnshire...
- including Grimsby Docks Company.
- Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
- South Yorkshire RailwaySouth Yorkshire RailwayThe South Yorkshire Railway was a railway company which was based in the south of the former West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its first section of line opened on 10 November 1849 between Swinton Junction and Doncaster...
opened 9 September 1854, merged with GCR 1 August 1864 - Wigan Junction Railway
- Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay RailwayWrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay RailwayThe Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway was incorporated on 7 August 1862 to build a line from Wrexham to Buckley.-Overview:The Buckley Railway had already been incorporated on 14 June 1860 to build a line from that town to a junction with the London and North Western Railway Chester-Holyhead...
- North Wales and Liverpool RailwayNorth Wales and Liverpool RailwayThe North Wales and Liverpool Railway , was the name given to the joint committee formed to construct a railway between Bidston, on the Wirral Railway and Hawarden on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's Chester & Connah's Quay Railway from Chester to its link with the Wrexham,...
- Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway
- Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
- Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
: formed 1844 by amalgamation:- North Midland RailwayNorth Midland RailwayThe North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
- Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties RailwayThe Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
- Birmingham and Derby Junction RailwayBirmingham and Derby Junction RailwayThe Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British railway company. From Birmingham it connected at Derby with the North Midland Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
- North Midland Railway
Later acquired:
-
- Leicester and Swannington RailwayLeicester and Swannington RailwayThe Leicester and Swannington Railway was one of England's first railways, being opened on 17 July 1832 to bring coal from collieries in west Leicestershire to Leicester.-Overview:...
opened 14 July 1832 - Sheffield and Rotherham RailwaySheffield and Rotherham RailwayThe Sheffield and Rotherham Railway was a short railway between Sheffield and Rotherham and the first in the two towns.In the early nineteenth century, when news broke of the building of the North Midland Railway, it was clear that George Stephenson would follow the gentle gradient of the Rivers...
1838 - Birmingham and Gloucester RailwayBirmingham and Gloucester RailwayThe Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
opened 17 December 1840 - "Little" North Western Railway (Skipton - Lancaster) opened 1 June 1850
- Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Goole Railway Company
- Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction RailwayManchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction RailwayThe Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway ran from a junction with the Midland Railway at Ambergate to Rowsley north of Matlock and thence to Buxton....
- Leicester and Swannington Railway
- North Staffordshire RailwayNorth Staffordshire RailwayThe North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
incorporated in 1845 to promote three railway schemes. Three Acts of Parliament on 26 June 1846 were given to the one company. Main line opened in 1848. Further Acts were all granted to the NSR Co. which remained independent until the 1923 Grouping.
North
- Maryport and Carlisle RailwayMaryport and Carlisle RailwayThe Maryport & Carlisle Railway was a small but highly profitable railway formed in 1836 to connect the town of Maryport to the county town of Carlisle and to allow the output of collieries inland of Maryport to be more cheaply transported to Maryport for oward movement by sea. Its headquarters...
(first section) opened 1845. Remained independent until the 1923 Grouping - Furness RailwayFurness RailwayThe Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
(Furness) (first section) opened 11 August 1846- Ulverston and Lancaster RailwayUlverston and Lancaster RailwayThe “Ulverstone” and Lancaster Railway Company was short-lived as a business but the line that it built is still in daily use. The line runs from Lindal-in-Furness to Carnforth where it joins what was then the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway...
opened 1857 amalgamated with Furness in 1862
- Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
- Great Northern RailwayGreat Northern Railway (Great Britain)The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
incorporated 1846- Edgware, Highgate and London RailwayEdgware, Highgate and London RailwayThe Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
incorporated 1862 - London and York Railway
- Direct Northern Railway
- Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
- North Eastern RailwayNorth Eastern Railway (UK)The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
(NER) incorporated 1854- York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway was York and Newcastle Railway (1846-1847) and Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway (1842-1846)
- Durham Junction Railway incorporated 1834, amalgamated with N&DJR in 1844
- Brandling Junction Railway incorporated 1836, amalgamated with N&DJR in 1845
- Durham and Sunderland Railway incorporated 1834, amalgamated with N&DJR in 1846
- Pontop and South Shields Railway incorporated 1842, amalgamated with N&DJR in 1846
- Stanhope and Tyne RailwayStanhope and Tyne RailwayThe Stanhope and Tyne Railway was opened in 1834 from Stanhope, in County Durham, UK, to Tyne Dock in South Shields, via Consett. It originally provided a link between the limestone quarries at Stanhope and coal mines at Stanhope for the production of lime, with an outlet to the Tyne down river of...
incorporated 1834, amalgamated with P&SSR in 1842
- Stanhope and Tyne Railway
- Newcastle and Berwick Railway incorporated 1845, amalgamated with Y&NR in 1847
- Newcastle and North Shields Railway incorporated 1836, amalgamated with N&BR in 1845
- Great North of England RailwayGreat North of England RailwayThe Great North of England Railway was an early British railway company. Its main line, opened in 1841 was between York and Darlington, and originally it was planned to extend to Newcastle. In 1850 it was absorbed by the North Eastern Railway ....
incorporated 1836, amalgamated with YN&BR in 1850
- York and North Midland RailwayYork and North Midland RailwayThe York and North Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting York, with the Leeds and Selby Railway and in 1840 with the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds.-Origins:...
incorporated 1836- Leeds and Selby RailwayLeeds and Selby RailwayThe Leeds and Selby Railway was an early British railway company and first mainline railway in Yorkshire. It was opened in 1834.The company was absorbed by the York and North Midland Railway and the line remained in use through the subsequent NER, LNER, BR and post-privatisation periods.As of 2010...
incorporated 1830, amalgamated with Y&NMR in 1844 - Whitby and Pickering RailwayWhitby and Pickering RailwayThe Whitby and Pickering Railway was built as the culmination of attempts to halt the gradual decline of the port of Whitby on the east coast of the United Kingdom...
incorporated 1833, amalgamated with Y&NMR in 1845 - East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway incorporated 1846, amalgamated with Y&NMR in 1852
- Leeds and Selby Railway
- Leeds Northern Railway was Leeds and Thirsk Railway (1845-1849)
- Malton and Driffield RailwayMalton and Driffield RailwayThe Malton and Driffield Railway ran between the Yorkshire towns of Malton and Driffield. It opened in 1853, with stations at Malton, Settrington, North Grimston, Wharram, Burdale, Sledmere and Fimber, Wetwang, Garton, and Driffield...
incorporated 1846 - Dearness Valley Railway incorporated 1855, amalgamated with NER in 1857
- Hartlepool Dock and Railway incorporated 1832, amalgamated with NER in 1857
- North Yorkshire and Cleveland Railway incorporated 1854, amalgamated with NER in 1858
- Bedale and Leyburn Railway incorporated 1853, amalgamated with NER in 1859
- Hull and Holderness RailwayHull and Holderness RailwayThe Hull and Holderness Railway was a branch line in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the North Sea coast at Withernsea.-Background:...
incorporated 1853, amalgamated with NER in 1862 - Newcastle and Carlisle RailwayNewcastle and Carlisle RailwayThe Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...
incorporated 1829, amalgamated with NER in 1862- Blaydon, Gateshead and Hebburn Railway incorporated 1834, amalgamated with N&CR in 1839
- Stockton and Darlington RailwayStockton and Darlington RailwayThe Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
incorporated 1821, amalgamated with NER in 1863- Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway incorporated 1854, amalgamated with S&DR in 1858
- Middlesbrough and Guisborough RailwayMiddlesbrough and Guisborough RailwayThe Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway was a railway line serving the towns of Middlesbrough and Guisborough as well as areas of the Eston Hills in North Yorkshire from 1853 through to 1964.-The Beginning:...
incorporated 1852, amalgamated with S&DR in 1858 - Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway incorporated 1845, amalgamated with S&DR in 1858
- Wear Valley Railway incorporated 1845, amalgamated with S&DR in 1858
- Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway incorporated 1837, amalgamated with WVR in 1847
- Eden Valley RailwayEden Valley RailwayThe Eden Valley Railway was a railway in Cumbria, England. It ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith and Kirkby Stephen via Appleby-in-Westmorland....
incorporated 1858, amalgamated with S&DR in 1862 - Frosterley and Stanhope Railway incorporated 1861, amalgamated with S&DR in 1862
- South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway incorporated 1857, amalgamated with S&DR in 1862
- Cleveland RailwayCleveland Railway (England)The Cleveland Railway was a railway line in north-east England running from Normanby near Middlesbrough, via Guisborough through the Eston Hills, to Loftus in East Cleveland. It carried minerals from numerous iron ore mines along its route to the River Tees for shipment to Tyneside and elsewhere...
incorporated 1858, amalgamated with NER in 1865 - West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway incorporated 1852, amalgamated with NER in 1865
- Clarence Railway incorporated 1828, amalgamated with WHH&R in 1853
- Stockton and Hartlepool Railway incorporated 1839, amalgamated with WHH&R in 1853
- Hull and Hornsea RailwayHull and Hornsea RailwayThe Hull and Hornsea Railway was a branch line in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the east coast seaside holiday resort of Hornsea.-Early proposals and construction:...
incorporated 1862, amalgamated with NER in 1866 - West Durham Railway incorporated 1839, amalgamated with NER in 1870
- Hull and Selby RailwayHull and Selby RailwayThe Hull and Selby Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1840, connecting Hull with the Leeds and Selby Railway-Origins:...
incorporated 1836, amalgamated with NER in 1872 - Blyth and Tyne Railway incorporated 1852, amalgamated with NER in 1874
- Hexham and Allendale RailwayHexham and Allendale RailwayThe Hexham to Allendale Railway was a single track branch railway line in Northumberland, England, that ran from through the Border Counties Junction to via the stations of , , and .-History:...
incorporated 1865, amalgamated with NER in 1876 - Leeds, Castleford and Pontefract Junction Railway incorporated 1873, amalgamated with NER in 1876
- Tees Valley RailwayTees Valley RailwayThe Tees Valley Railway was an eight and three quarter mile long branch railway line that ran between Barnard Castle on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway line between Bishop Auckland and Kirkby Stephen East, and Middleton-in-Teesdale via three intermediate stations Cotherstone, Romaldkirk...
incorporated 1865, amalgamated with NER in 1882 - Hylton, Southwick and Monkwearmouth Railway incorporated 1871, amalgamated with NER in 1883
- Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway incorporated 1871, amalgamated with NER in 1883
- Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway incorporated 1866, amalgamated with NER in 1889
- Wear Valley Extension Railway incorporated 1892, amalgamated with NER in 1893
- Scarborough & Whitby RailwayScarborough & Whitby RailwayThe Scarborough & Whitby Railway was a railway line from Scarborough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England, the line followed a scenic route along the Yorkshire coast.It fell victim to the Beeching Axe closing in 1965...
incorporated 1871, amalgamated with NER in 1898 - Cawood, Wistow and Selby Light RailwayCawood, Wistow and Selby Light RailwayThe Cawood, Wistow and Selby Light Railway was a light railway in Yorkshire, England.-History:An act of Parliament in 1879 allowed the construction of the Church Fenton, Cawood and Wistow Railway from a junction at Church Fenton through Cawood and Wistow...
incorporated 1896, amalgamated with NER in 1900 - Scarborough, Bridlington and West Riding Junction Railway incorporated 1885, amalgamated with NER in 1914
- York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway was York and Newcastle Railway (1846-1847) and Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway (1842-1846)
- Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire and Yorkshire RailwayThe Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
incorporated 1847. In 1846 the Liverpool and Bury Railway was amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway, which became known as The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847- Manchester and Leeds RailwayManchester and Leeds RailwayThe Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
incorporated 1836 - Manchester and Bolton RailwayManchester and Bolton RailwayThe Manchester and Bolton Railway was a railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England, connecting Salford to Bolton. It was built by the proprietors of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company who had in 1831 converted from a canal company...
opened 1838 - Ashton, Stalybridge and Liverpool Junction RailwayAshton, Stalybridge and Liverpool Junction RailwayThe Ashton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway , was formed in 1844 and was taken over by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1847.-History:...
1844 - Liverpool and Bury RailwayLiverpool and Bury RailwayThe Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed in 1845 and opened on 28 November 1848. The line ran from Liverpool Exchange first using a joint line with Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway before branching of to proceed via Kirkby then Wigan and Bolton to Bury.In 1846 the line merged with the...
1845 - East Lancashire Railway opened 1846: a section of this line is now a heritage railwayEast Lancashire RailwayThe East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
- Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole Railway opened 1848
- Manchester and Leeds Railway
- London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) formed by amalgamation in 1846, there were 45 formerly independent railways within the LNWR, including:- Liverpool and Manchester RailwayLiverpool and Manchester RailwayThe Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
opened 15 September 1830 - London and Birmingham RailwayLondon and Birmingham RailwayThe London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
(first section) opened 20 July 1837; opened throughout 17 September 1838 - Grand Junction RailwayGrand Junction RailwayThe Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
opened 1837 - Chester and Crewe RailwayChester and Crewe RailwayThe Chester and Crewe Railway was an early British railway company absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway in 1840. The line was 11 miles in length, the engineer was Robert Stephenson and the contractor for the work was Thomas Brassey...
opened 1846 - Chester and Holyhead RailwayChester and Holyhead RailwayThe Chester and Holyhead Railway was incorporated out of a proposal to link Holyhead, the traditional port for the Irish Mail, with London by way of the existing Chester and Crewe Railway, and what is now the West Coast Main Line...
opened 1848 to Bangor 1850 to Holyhead - Manchester and Birmingham RailwayManchester and Birmingham RailwayThe Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
- Lancaster and Carlisle RailwayLancaster and Carlisle RailwayThe Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
- Cromford and High Peak RailwayCromford and High Peak RailwayThe Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...
- Kendal and Windermere RailwayKendal and Windermere RailwayThe Kendal and Windermere Railway is a railway in Cumbria in north-west England. It was built as a railway from the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway at Oxenholme via Kendal to near Windermere, opening fully in April 1847. The engineer was Joseph Locke and the partnership of contractors consisted of...
- Watford and Rickmansworth Railway opened 1 October 1862 closed 1998 possible reopening (see Watford tube stationWatford tube stationWatford is a station at the end of the Watford branch of London Underground's Metropolitan Line in the north-western part of the network in Zone 7, previously zone A.-Location and description:...
)
- Liverpool and Manchester Railway
South
- Isle of Wight Central RailwayIsle of Wight Central RailwayThe Isle of Wight Central Railway was a railway company on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. At its peak the company owned 21½ miles of railway line, and it also operated trains on some additional lines it did not own. Trains were first run on what became its lines in 1862, although the company...
incorporated 1887, amalgamation of several smaller railways including:- Cowes and Newport Railway incorporated 1859
- Ryde & Newport Railway opened 1875
- Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway completed 1879
- London Brighton and South Coast Railway amalgamation of five railways August 1846:
- London and Croydon RailwayLondon and Croydon RailwayThe London and Croydon Railway was an early railway which operated between London and Croydon in England. It was opened in 1839 and in July 1846 it merged with other railways to form a part of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway ....
incorporated 1835 opened 1839 - London and Brighton RailwayLondon and Brighton RailwayThe London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
incorporated 1837 opened 21 September 1841 - Croydon and Epsom RailwayCroydon and Epsom RailwayThe Croydon and Epsom Railway was an early railway in southern England running between the two Surrey towns mentioned in its name. The company was formed March 1844 to operate a new line using the atmospheric principle...
incorporated 1844. - Brighton and Chichester RailwayBrighton and Chichester RailwayThe Brighton and Chichester Railway was an early railway in southern England running between the towns of Shoreham and Chichester in Sussex, which operated between 1845 and 1846.-History:...
incorporated 1844. - Brighton Lewes and Hastings RailwayBrighton Lewes and Hastings RailwayThe Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway was an early railway in southern England running between the three East Sussex towns mentioned in its name...
incorporated 1844.
- London and Croydon Railway
- London, Chatham and Dover RailwayLondon, Chatham and Dover RailwayThe London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
- East Kent RailwayEast Kent RailwayThe East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...
incorporated 1853
- East Kent Railway
- London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western RailwayThe London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR)- London and Southampton RailwayLondon and South Western RailwayThe London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
opened (first section) 21 May 1838; renamed LSWR 1838 - Bodmin and Wadebridge RailwayBodmin and Wadebridge RailwayThe Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway was a railway line opened in 1834 in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin with the harbour at Wadebridge and also quarries at places such as Wenford...
opened 23 May 1832, sold to LSWR autumn 1846 but not legally vested in that company until 1 July 1886 - Richmond Railway opened 27 July 1846
- Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway opened 1848/1849
- Southampton and Dorchester RailwaySouthampton and Dorchester Railway-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
opened 1 June 1847; extended to Weymouth 20 June 1857 - Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway opened 1856
- Andover and Redbridge RailwaySprat and Winkle LineThe Sprat and Winkle Line was the familiar name of a railway line which ran between Andover and Redbridge in Hampshire, UK. It was also known as the Andover to Redbridge Line....
opened 6 March 1865, closed 1967 - Lymington Railway opened 12 July 1858, closed 1967
- London and Southampton Railway
- London, Tilbury and Southend RailwayLondon, Tilbury and Southend RailwayThe London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
incorporated 1862 amalgamated with Midland Railway 1912- London and Blackwall RailwayLondon and Blackwall RailwayOriginally called the Commercial Railway, the London and Blackwall Railway was a railway line in east London, England. It ran from the Minories to Blackwall via Stepney, with a branch line to the Isle of Dogs, thus connecting central London to many of London's docks in the 19th and 20th centuries...
- London and Blackwall Railway
- Metropolitan RailwayMetropolitan railwayMetropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
(MetR)- North Metropolitan Railway incorporated 1853; became MetrR 1854. Other sections followed in 1860-70
- Midland and South Western Junction RailwayMidland and South Western Junction RailwayThe Midland and South Western Junction Railway was, until the 1923 Grouping, an independent railway built to form a north-south link between the Midland and London and South Western Railways allowing the Midland and other companies' trains to reach the port of Southampton.-Formation:The M&SWJR...
: formed in 1884 by amalgamation of- Swindon, Marlborough and Andover RailwaySwindon, Marlborough and Andover RailwayThe Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway was one of the constituents of the Midland and South Western Junction Railway. It received Parliamentary approval on 21 July 1873 and construction began in 1875 ....
incorporated 1873 - Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway incorporated 1881
- Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway
- North London RailwayNorth London RailwayThe North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
incorporated 1846 original name:- East and West India Docks and Birmingham Junction Railway
- Pentewan RailwayPentewan RailwayThe Pentewan Railway was a British narrow gauge railway in Cornwall. It was built as a horse-drawn tramway carrying china clay from St Austell to the harbour at Pentewan. In 1874 the line was rebuilt by engineer John Barraclough Fell and converted to locomotive working, at which time the gauge was...
The railway from St Austell was complete by 22 June 1829 but not incorporated until 20 February 1873 as the Pentewan Railway and Harbour Company Limited. An Act of Parliament on 7 August 1874 authorised the use of locomotives. It was closed from 4 March 1918. - Redruth and Chasewater RailwayRedruth and Chasewater RailwayThe Redruth and Chasewater Railway, otherwise called the Redruth and Chacewater Railway using modern spelling, was a very early industrial railway line in Cornwall, England, UK that opened in 1825 and closed in 1915...
This was opened on 30 January 1826 and was locomotive worked from 1 December 1864. It was closed from 27 September 1915. - Somerset and Dorset Joint RailwaySomerset and Dorset Joint RailwayThe Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
(S&DJR). An amalgamation of the:- Somerset Central Railway, first section opened on 1 November 1860, and
- Dorset Central Railway, first section opened on 28 August 1854.
- The S&D Joint RailwayJoint railwayA joint railway is a railway operating under the control of more than one railway company: those companies very often supplying the traction over the railway.-United Kingdom:There are many examples of joint railway working in the United Kingdom...
was jointly operated by the Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western RailwayThe London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(L&SWR). After the 1 January 1923 GroupingRailways Act 1921The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, joint ownership of the S&DJR passed to the LMSLondon, Midland and Scottish RailwayThe London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
and the Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Great Britain)The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
.
- South Eastern RailwaySouth Eastern Railway (UK)The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
incorporated 1836- London and Greenwich RailwayLondon and Greenwich RailwayThe London and Greenwich Railway was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway to have a terminus in the capital, the first of any to be built specifically for passenger service, and the first example of an elevated railway....
- Canterbury and Whitstable RailwayCanterbury and Whitstable RailwayThe Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, sometimes referred to colloquially as the Crab and Winkle Line, was an early British railway that opened in 1830 between Canterbury and Whitstable in the county of Kent, England.- Early history :...
- London and Greenwich Railway
- Surrey Iron RailwaySurrey Iron RailwayThe Surrey Iron Railway was a horse drawn plateway whose width approximated to a standard gauge railway that linked the former Surrey towns of Wandsworth and Croydon via Mitcham...
(SIR) opened 1804 (4 ft gauge):- Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway - extension of SIR
- West Somerset Mineral RailwayWest Somerset Mineral RailwayThe West Somerset Mineral Railway was a line which operated in the UK county of Somerset. It ran from the ironstone mines in the Brendon Hills to the port of Watchet on the Bristol Channel. From there the ore was carried across by ship to Newport and thence to Ebbw Vale for smelting to extract...
incorporated 1855 to carry iron ore; passenger service from 1865; closed to all traffic 1898 see article here
Wales
- Cambrian RailwaysCambrian RailwaysCambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
incorporated between 1864 and 1904- Oswestry and Newtown Railway 30 miles: incorporated 6 June 1855; opened 1860-1
- Llanidloes and Newtown Railway 12.25 miles: 4 August 1853; 1859. Until 1861 this section of the line was completely isolated
- Newtown and Machynlleth Railway 23 miles: 27 July 1857; 1863
- Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway 18 miles: 1 August 1861; 1863-4
- Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayAberystwyth and Welsh Coast RailwayThe Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was a standard gauge railway built in 1863 connecting major towns on the Welsh coast.- History :...
86 miles: July 26, 1861; 1863-69 - Mid Wales Railway 45.5 miles: 1 August 1859; 1 September 1864. This Railway maintained complete independence from the Cambrian until 1 January 1888, when the latter took over working the line; and on 1 July 1904 when the two Railways amalgamated.
- and several railways opened in the 1860s
- Festiniog Railway incorporated 23 May 1832 ( gauge) 13½ miles opened 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea, carried passengers from 1865. Still independent and since 1954 a leading heritage railway.
- Llanelly Railway and Dock Company incorporated 1828
- Rhymney RailwayRhymney RailwayThe Rhymney Railway was virtually a single stretch of main line, some fifty miles in length, by which the Rhymney Valley was connected to the docks at Cardiff in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales.-History:...
incorporated 1854 - Taff Vale RailwayTaff Vale RailwayThe Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
(TVR) incorporated 1836. Among the eight railways amalgamated with the TVR is one early railway:- Aberdare Railway opened 1846
See also
- History of rail transport in Great BritainHistory of rail transport in Great BritainThe railway system of Great Britain, the principal territory of the United Kingdom, is the oldest in the world. The system was originally built as a patchwork of local rail links operated by small private railway companies. These isolated links developed during the railway boom of the 1840s into a...
- History of rail transport in Great Britain to 1830History of rail transport in Great Britain to 1830The history of rail transport in Great Britain to 1830 covers the period up to the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the world's first intercity passenger railway operated solely by steam locomotives. The earliest form of railways, horse-drawn wagonways, originated in Germany in the...
- History of rail transport in Great Britain 1830 - 1922History of rail transport in Great Britain 1830 - 1922This article is part of a series on the History of rail transport in Great BritainThe history of rail transport in Great Britain 1830 - 1922 covers the period between the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , and the Grouping, the amalgamation of almost all of Britain's many railway...
- History of rail transport in Great Britain to 1830