List of former UK railroad companies

This article lists all the former railway companies in the United Kingdom , which existed before the privatization of the British railway system in the 1994th

For today's companies, see the list of UK railroad companies . For the former railway companies in Ireland and Northern Ireland, see List of Irish Railway Companies .

State

British Rail was created in 1948 with the nationalization of the country's four large private railroad companies, the so-called "Big Four", and was gradually privatized and dissolved between 1994 and 1997.

The Big Four

With the Railways Act 1921 , most rail companies in the UK were (and some in Northern Ireland) combined into four companies, "The Big Four" ( the big four called). This measure came into force on January 1, 1923. The route lengths of the individual companies at this time are given in brackets.

Great Western Railway

7 companies plus 26 subsidiaries ( bold ) or joint ventures with a total route length of 745 km

Great Western Railway (1835, 4,832 km)
- Abbotsbury Railway (1877-1896)
- Abingdon Railway (1855-1904)
- Alcester Railway (1872-1883)
- Avon and Gloucestershire Railway (1828-1865)
- Bala and Dolgelly Railway (1862–1877)
- Bala and Festiniog Railway (1873-1910)
  - Festiniog and Blaenau Railway (1862-1883)
- Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway (1873-1897)
- Berkshire and Hampshire Railway (1845-1846) "Berks and Hants Railway"
- Berkshire and Hampshire Extension Railway (1859-1882)
- Birmingham and Henley-in-Arden Railway (1888-1900)
  - Henley-in-Arden and Great Western Junction Railway (1873-1888)
- Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Stratford-upon-Avon Railway (1894-1900)
- Birmingham and Oxford Junction Railway (1846-1848)
  - Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Railway (1846–1848)
- Bourton-on-the-Water Railway (1860–1874)
- Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (1859-1922)
- Bridport Railway (1855-1901)
- Bristol and Exeter Railway (1836–1876)
  - Chard and Taunton Railway (1861–1863)
  - Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway (1865–1876)
  - Exe Valley Railway (1874-1875)
- Bristol Harbor Railway (1866–1876)
- Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway (1863-1884)
- Bristol and South Wales Union Railway (1857–1868)
- Briton Ferry Floating Dock and Railway (1851–1873)
- Burry Port and Gwendreath Valley Railway (1866-1922)
  - Kidwelly and Burry Port Railway (1865-1866)
- Calne Railway (1860-1892)
- Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway (1854-1881)
- Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (1836–1844)
- Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway (1901-1922)
- Coleford Railway (1872-1884)
- Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway (1853–1881)
  - Monmouth Railway (1810-1853)
- Cornwall Minerals Railway (1873-1896)
  - Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway (1862-1892)
  - Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway (1864-1874)
  - Treffry Estates Tramway (Newquay Railway, Par Tramway)
- Cornwall Railway (1846-1889)
- Corris Railway (1864-1930)
  - Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad (1858–1864)
- Corwen and Bala Railway (1862-1896)
- Culm Valley Light Railway (1873-1880)
- Devon and Somerset Railway (1864-1901)
- Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (1873-1922)
- East Gloucestershire Railway (1862-1890)
- East Somerset Railway (1856-1874)
- East Usk Railway (1885-1892)
- Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway (1873-1880)
- Ely Valley Railway (1857-1903)
- Exeter Railway (1898-1922)
  - Exeter, Teign Valley and Chagford Railway (1883–1898)
- Faringdon Railway (1860-1886)
- Forest of Dean Central Railway (1856-1922)
- Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway (1846–1874)
- Golden Valley Railway (1876-1899)
- Great Marlow Railway (1868-1897)
- Great Western and Brentford Railway (1855–1872)
- Great Western and Uxbridge Railway (1846–1847)
- Gwendraeth Valleys Railway (1866-1922)
- Hall's Tramroad (1805-1877)
- Helston Railway (1880–1898)
- Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway (1851-1862)
- Kingsbridge and Salcombe Railway (1882-1888)
- Kington and Eardisley Railway (1862-1897)
  - Kington Tramway (1818-1862)
- Lambourn Valley Light Railway (1898-1905)
- Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway (1906-1922)
- Leominster and Bromyard Railway (1874–1888)
- Leominster and Kington Railway (1854–1898)
- Liskeard and Caradon Railway (1843-1909)
- Liskeard and Looe Railway (1858-1922)
- Llanelly Railway and Dock (1828-1889)
- Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway (1875-1922)
  - Carmarthenshire Railway (1802-1844)
- Llangollen and Corwen Railway (1860-1896)
- Llynvi and Ogmore Railway (1866-1883)
  - Cardiff and Ogmore Railway (1873-1876)
  - Ogmore Valley Railways (1863–1866)
    - Ely Valley Extension Railway (1863-1865)
  - Llynvi Valley Railway (1846–1866)
    - Bridgend Railway (1828-1854)
    - Dyffryn Llynfi and Porthcawl Railway (1825-1847)
- Malmesbury Railway (1872-1880)
- Manchester and Milford Railway (1860-1911)
- Marlborough Railway (1861-1896)
- Midland and South Western Junction Railway (1884-1922)
  - Marlborough and Grafton Railway (1896-1899)
- Milford Railway (1856-1896)
- Minehead Railway (1871-1897)
- Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean Junction Railway (1871-1880)
- Monmouthshire Railway and Canal (1845-1880)
  - Blaenavon Tramroad (1792-1845)
- Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway (1862-1896)
- Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway (1861-1897)
- Neath and Brecon Railway (1864-1921)
  - Dulas Valley Mineral Railway (1862–1864)
- Newent Railway (1873-1892)
- North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway (1884–1898)
  - Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway (1872-1884)
  - Rosebush and Fishguard Railway (1881-1884)
- Oldbury Railway (1881-1894)
  - Dudley and Oldbury Junction Railway (1873-1881)
- Port Talbot Railway and Docks
  - Cefn and Pyle Railway (1798-1896)
  - South Wales Mineral Railway
- Princeton Railway
- Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
- Ross and Monmouth Railway
- Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway
- Shrewsbury and Chester Railway
  - North Wales Mineral Railway (1844-1846)
- South Devon Railway
  - Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway (1864-1897)
  - Dartmouth and Torbay Railway (1857-1866)
  - Launceston and South Devon Railway (1862–1869)
  - Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway (1862–1872)
  - South Devon and Tavistock Railway
- South Wales Railway
  - Forest of Dean Railway (1826-1847)
    - Bullo Pill Tramway (1806-1826)
- Teign Valley Railway
- Vale of Neath Railway
  - Aberdare Valley Railway (1855–1864)
- West Cornwall Railway
  - Hayle Railway (1834-1846)
- West Midland Railway , formed from
  - Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway (1846-1860)
    - Grosmont Railway (1812-1846)
    - Hereford Railway (1826-1846)
    - Llanvihangel Railway (1811-1846)
  - Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
    - Chipping Norton Railway (1854-1859)
  - Worcester and Hereford Railway
- West Somerset Railway
- Wiltshire, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
- Wycombe Railway
Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway (1882-1922)
- Alexandra (Newport) Docks Company (1865–1882; 10 miles)
- Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway (1878-1882)
Barry Railway (1891-1922, 109 km)
- Barry Dock and Railway (1865-1891)
- Vale of Glamorgan Railway
Cambrian Railways (1864-1922, 475 km)
- Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway (1861–1866)
- Llanidloes and Newtown Railway (1859–1864)
- Mawddwy Railway (1865-1923)
- Mid-Wales Railway (1859-1904)
- Newtown and Machynlleth Railway (1857–1864)
- Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway
- Oswestry and Newtown Railway
- Tanat Valley Light Railway
- Vale of Rheidol Railway
- Van Railway
- Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
- Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway
Cardiff Railway (1897-1922)
- Bute Docks Company (1886-1897)
Rhymney Railway (1854, 82 km)
Taff Vale Railway (1836, 200 km)
- Aberdare Railway (1845-1902)
- Cowbridge Railway (1862-1889)
- Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway (1889-1894)
- Dare Valley Railway (1863-1889)
- Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway (1861-1889)
- Penarth Extension Railway
- Penarth Harbor, Dock and Railway

London and North Eastern Railway

7 main companies and 3 smaller companies, plus 23 subsidiaries or joint ventures with a total route length of 499 km

Colne Valley and Halstead Railway (31 km)
East and West Yorkshire Union Railway (15 km)
Great Central Railway (1371 km)
Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (31 km)
Great Eastern Railway (1862, 1916 km)
Great Northern Railway (1846, 1,690km)
Hull and Barnsley Railway (171 km)
- South Yorkshire Junction Railway
North Eastern Railway (1854, 2,826 km)
Great North of Scotland Railway (1846, 538 km)
North British Railway (1844, 2216 km)

Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (joint venture between MR and GNR, completely part of LNER on October 1, 1936)
Nottingham Joint Station Committee joint operation of Nottingham Victoria Railway Stationby GCR & GNR
West Riding Railway Committee GCR & GNRjointly operate the West Riding and Grimsby Joint Railway

London, Midland and Scottish Railway

Ten main companies, seven smaller companies and an additional 19 subsidiaries or joint ventures with a total route length of 915 km.

London and North Western Railway (formed in 1846 from 45 independent companies, 4,289 km)
- Charnwood Forest Railway (17 km)
- Chester and Holyhead Railway
- Cromford and High Peak Railway
- Dearne Valley Railway (34 km)
- Grand Junction Railway
  - Chester and Crewe Railway
  - Liverpool and Manchester Railway
- Kendal and Windermere Railway
- Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
- London and Birmingham Railway
- Harborne Railway (4 km)
- Manchester and Birmingham Railway
- Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway (24 km)
- Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company (47 km, partly shared with the Great Western Railway )
- Watford and Rickmansworth Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (1847 merger on January 1, 1922)
Furness Railway (1846, 254 km)
- Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
- Coniston Railway
Midland Railway (1844, 3,490 km)
North Staffordshire Railway (355 km)
- Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway (13 km, narrow gauge)
Caledonian Railway (1792 km)
- Arbroath and Forfar Railway (15 miles)
- Brechin and Edzell District Railway (10 km)
- Callander and Oban Railway (161 km)
- Cathcart District Railway
- Dundee and Newtyle Railway (23 km)
- Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway
- Killin Railway (8 km)
- Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway (58 km)
- Scottish Central Railway
- Scottish North Eastern Railway
- Solway Junction Railway (20 km)
- Wishaw and Coltness Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway (1850, 793 km)
Highland Railway (1865, 814 km)
Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (49 km)
Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway (49 km)
Knott End Railway (19 km)
Maryport and Carlisle Railway (1845)
North London Railway (26 km)
Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (109 km)
Wirral Railway (22 km)

Companies jointly owned by railway companies:

several partners:
- North and South Western Junction Railway (5 miles, jointly owned by L & NWR, NLR, and MR)
- Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway (132 km, jointly owned by L & NWR, MR, CR and G & SWR)
- Carlisle Citadel Station and Goods Traffic Joint Committees

LNWR and MR:
- Ashby and Nuneaton Railway (47 km)
- Enderby Railway (4 km)

LNWR and L&YR:
- Lancashire and Yorkshire and Lancashire Union Joint Railway (21 km)
- North Union Railway (10 km)
- Preston and Longridge Railway (8 miles)
- Preston and Wyre Railway (74 km)

FR and MR:
- Furness and Midland Railway (16 km)

FR and LNWR:
- Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Joint Railway (56 km)

CalR and G & SWR:
- Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway (48 km)
- Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway (23 km)

Southern Railway

Four main companies, four other smaller companies and ten subsidiaries or joint ventures with a total route length of 577 km

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (1846, 735 km)
- Brighton and Dyke Railway (8 km)
- Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway
- Hayling Railways (8 km)
- London and Croydon Railway
- London and Brighton Railway
- Surrey Iron Railway

London and South Western Railway (1840, 1,641 km)
- Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
- Bridgewater Railway (12 km)
- Lee-on-the-Solent Railway (5 km)
- London and Southampton Railway
- Lymington Railway
- North Cornwall Railway (84 km)
- Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway (4 km)
- Richmond Railway
- Sidmouth Railway (13 km)
- Southampton and Dorchester Railway
- Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway
- Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway

South Eastern Railway (1836) and London, Chatham and Dover Railway (1,025 km, with joint operating company South Eastern and Chatham Railways' Managing Committee for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway )
- Canterbury and Whitstable Railway
- London and Greenwich Railway (6 km)
- London, Chatham and Dover Railway (1859)
  - East Kent Railway
- Mid Kent Railway (4 km)

Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway (12 miles)
Isle of Wight Railway (24 km)
Isle of Wight Central Railway (46 km)
Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway (50 km)

Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway (jointly leased by B & SCR, LC&DR and GWR)

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (31 km; taken over by SR in 1923, narrow gauge 597 mm)

Companies jointly owned by railway companies:

SECR:
- Croydon and Oxted Railway (20 km)
- Dover and Deal Railway (14 km)
- Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway (9 km)

LBSCR and LSWR:
- Epsom and Leatherhead Railway (3.7 miles)
- Portsmouth and Ryde Railway (14 km)

LBSCR and SECR:
- Woodside and South Croydon Railway (4 km)

Companies operated jointly by the Big Four

Jointly operated by LNER, SR, Metropolitan and Metropolitan District

East London Railway

Jointly operated by LNER and LMS:

Axholme Joint Railway (45 km)
Cheshire Lines Committee (229 km)
Dumbarton and Balloch Railway (11 km, including a boat trip on Loch Lomond )
Dundee and Arbroath Railway (37 km)
Great Central and Midland Joint Railway (65 km)
Great Central, Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint Railway (3.7 miles)
Great Central and North Staffordshire Joint Railway (18 km)
Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway (72 km)
Halifax and Ovenden Railway (4 km)
Halifax High Level (5 km)
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (15 km)
Methley Joint Line (10 km)
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (295 km, then to LNER until 1936)
Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Committee (36 km)
Oldham, Ashton and Guide Bridge Railway (10 km)
Otley and Ilkley Railway (10 km)
Perth General Station Committee
Prince's Dock, Glasgow (1.2 miles)
South Yorkshire Joint Railway (33 km)
Swinton and Knottingley Railway (31 km)
Tottenham and Hampstead Railway (5 miles)

Jointly operated by GWR and LMS:

Birkenhead Railway (91 km)
Brecon and Merthyr Railway and London and North Western Joint Railway (10 km)
Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway (1.2 miles)
Clee Hill Railway (10 km)
Clifton Extension Railway (14 km)
Halesowen Railway (10 km)
Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway (3 miles)
Quaker's Yard and Merthyr Railway (10 km)
Severn and Wye Railway (63 km)
Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway (133 km)
Taff Bargoed Railway (18 km)
Tenbury Railway (8 km)
Vale of Towy Railway (18 km)
West London Railway (4 km)
Wrexham and Minera Railway (3 miles)

Jointly operated by SR and LMS:

Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (169 km)

Jointly operated by the Metropolitan District and LMS:

Whitechapel & Bow Railway (3 km)

Jointly operated by GWR and SR:

Easton and Church Hope Railway (3.7 miles)
Weymouth and Portland Railway (9 km)

Jointly operated by SR, GWR and LMS:

West London Extension Railway (8 km)

Railway companies that didn't come to the Big Four

Listed below are railway companies that existed before the concentration in 1923. The year of foundation is in brackets.

London Passenger Transport Board Constituents

Metropolitan Railway (1854)

Other companies

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway (1901-1917)
Pentewan Railway (1829)
Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway (1874-1933)
Redruth and Chasewater Railway (1826)
Wantage Tramway (1873-1945)
West Somerset Mineral Railway (1855)

literature

Christopher Awdry: Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies . Stephens / Guild Publishing, Wellingborough / London 1990, ISBN 1-85260-049-7 .