Eastern Counties Railway

The Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) was a British railway company that existed from 1839 to 1862 and opened up the areas east of London . Operations began on June 20, 1839 between Mile End and Romford . In the following years, the line was extended to the new London terminus at Shoreditch (later Bishopsgate ) and to Colchester .

The tracks were initially laid with a gauge of five feet (1524 mm). In September and October 1844, the 82 km long line was converted to the standard gauge of 4 feet and 8½ inches (1435 mm); the partner company Northern and Eastern Railway followed suit. In 1846 the Colchester line was connected to that of the Eastern Union Railway . In 1862 the two companies and several smaller railways in East Anglia merged to form the Great Eastern Railway .

See also

• List of former UK railroad companies

Web links

Commons : Eastern Counties Railway  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Great Eastern Railway Society (with information on the predecessor companies)