Timeline: Railway Companies

A list of the UK Railway Companies, with the date they first opened (or partly opened), and what became of them.

1798

• Llandegai Tramway Horse-drawn.

1802

• Penrhyn Quarry Railway Horse-drawn.

1803

• Surrey Iron Railway Horse-drawn. >> Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway
  

1804

• Swansea and Mumbles Railway Horse-drawn. Passengers from 1807. Aka as Oystermouth Railway

1805

• Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway Horse-drawn.

1810

• Gloucester and Cheltenham Railway Horse-drawn.

1812

• Middleton Colliery Railway First steam locomotive was the Salamanca
• Kilmarnock and Troon Railway Started as Horse-drawn. 1899 >> Glasgow and South Western Railway

1813

• Wylam Colliery
• Severn and Wye Railway

1814

• Killingworth Colliery
• Llanvihangel Railway 1846 >> Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway

1815

• Radstock Tramway Horse-drawn.

1818/19

• Grosmont Railway 1846 >> Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway

1819

• Mansfield and Pinxton Railway >> 1847 Midland Railway

1822

• Hetton Colliery Railway

1823

• Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway

1825

• Stockton and Darlington Railway 1863 >> North Eastern Railway
  

1826

• Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway 1848 >> Monkland Railways
  
• Stratford and Moreton Tramway 1868 >> Great Western Railway
  

1828

• Ballochney Railway 1848 >> Monkland Railways.
  

1829

• Bolton and Leigh Railway Opened August 1st. Opened for passengers in 1831 >>1845 Grand Junction Railway
  
• Shutt End Railway Colliery railway also known as the Pensnett Railway
  
• Hereford Railway 1846 >> Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
  

1830

• Liverpool and Manchester Railway 1845 >> Grand Junction Railway.
  
• Canterbury and Whitstable Railway 1844 >> South Eastern Railway
  

1831

• Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway 1862/87 >> Caledonian Railway
• Warrington and Newton Railway 1838 >> Grand Junction Railway
• Cromford and High Peak Railway 1887 >> London and North Western Railway
• Kenyon and Leigh Railway 1845 >> Grand Junction Railway
• Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway 1845 >> North British Railway

1832

• Leicester and Swannington Railway 1845 >> Midland Railway

1833

• St. Helen's and Runcorn Gap Railway 1864 >> London and North Western Railway
• Clarence Railway 1851 >> West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway

1834

• Leeds and Selby Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• Stanhope and Tyne Railway 1841 >> Pontop and South Shields Railway
  
• Hull and Selby Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• Dublin and Kingstown Railway

1836

• London and Greenwich Railway 1845 >> South Eastern Railway
  
• Durham and Sunderland Railway 1847 >> Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway
  

1837

• Grand Junction Railway 1846 >> London and North Western Railway
  
• London and Birmingham Railway 1846 >> London and North Western Railway
  

1838

• London and Southampton Railway 1839 >> London and South Western Railway
  
• Durham Junction Railway 1844 >> Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway
  
• Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway 1846 >> Manchester and Leeds Railway
  
• Newcastle and Carlisle Railway 1862 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• North Union Railway 1846 >> Grand Junction Railway
  
• Sheffield and Rotherham Railway 1845 >> Midland Railway
  

1839

• Manchester and Leeds Railway 1847 Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
  
• Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway 1844 >> Midland Railway
  
• York and North Midland Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• Great Western Railway
  
• Midland Counties Railway 1844 >> Midland Railway
  
• London and Croydon Railway 1846 >> London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
  
• London and South Western Railway 1923 >> Southern Railway
  
• Ulster Railway 1876 >> Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
  
• Eastern Counties Railway 1902 >> Great Eastern Railway
  
• Brandling Junction Railway 1844 >> Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway
• Newcastle and North Shields Railway 1845 >> Newcastle and Berwick Railway
• York and North Midland Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
• London and Blackwall Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway

1840

• North Midland Railway 1844 >> Midland Railway
  
• Slamannan Railway 1848 >> Monkland Railways
  
• Birmingham and Gloucester Railway 1845 >> Birmingham and Bristol Railway
  
• Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway 1844 >> Great Western Railway
  
• Birmingham, Bristol and Thames Junction Railway
  
• Chester and Birkenhead Railway 1847 >> Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway
• Chester and Crewe Railway 1840 >> Grand Junction Railway
  
• Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway 1859 >> Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
  
• Manchester and Birmingham Railway 1846 >> London and North Western Railway
  
• Northern and Eastern Railway 1902 >> Great Eastern Railway
  
• Preston and Wyre Joint Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
  
• Taff Vale Railway 1923 >> Great Western Railway
  
• Stockton and Hartlepool Railway 1852 >> West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway

1841

• London and Brighton Railway 1846 >> London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
  
• South Eastern Railway
• Bolton and Preston Railway 1844 >> Northern Union Railway
  
• Great North of England Railway 1846 >> Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway
  
• Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway 1847 >> Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
  

1844

• Midland Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
  
• Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway 1846 >> York and Newcastle Railway
  
• North British Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway
• Dublin and Drogheda Railway 1875 Northern Railway of Ireland

1845

• Brighton and Chichester Railway 1846 >> London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
  
• Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway 1849 >> Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
  
• Birmingham and Bristol Railway 1846 >> Midland Railway
  
• Maryport and Carlisle Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
  

1846

• London and North Western Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
• Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway 1846 >> London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
  
• Croydon and Epsom Railway 1846 >> London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
  
• London, Brighton and South Coast Railway 1923 >> Southern Railway
  
• North British Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway
  
• Great North of Scotland Railway 1923 London and North Eastern Railway
  
• Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway 1860 >> West Midland Railway
  
• Lancaster and Carlisle Railway 1879 >> London and North Western Railway
  
• South Devon Railway 1876 >> Great Western Railway
• Eastern Union Railway 1862 >> Great Eastern Railway

1847

• York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 1922 >> London and North Western Railway
  
• Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway 1897 >> Great Central Railway
  
• Newcastle and Berwick Railway 1847 >> York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
  
• York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway 1854 North Eastern Railway
  

1848

• Monkland Railways 1865 >> Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
  
• Great Northern Railway 1823 >> London and North Eastern Railway
  
• Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway 1859 >> Birkenhead Railway

1849

• Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
  
• Leeds Northern Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• Edinburgh and Hawick Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway

1850

• East and West India Docks and Birmingham Junction Railway 1853 >> North London Railway
• Glasgow and South Western Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
• Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway 1860 >> West Midland Railway
• West Hartlepool Railway 1865 >> North Eastern Railway

1853

• Malton and Driffield Railway 1854 >> North Eastern Railway
  
• North London Railway 1908 >> London and North Western Railway
  

1854

• North Eastern Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway
  
• Halesworth, Beccles and Haddiscoe Railway

1858

• East Kent Railway 1859 >> London, Chatham and Dover Railway
  

1859

• London, Chatham and Dover Railway 1923 >> Southern Railway
  
• Llanidloes and Newtown Railway 1864 >> Cambrian Railways
  
• Birkenhead Railway 1861 >> Great Western Railway and London and North Eastern Railway
• East Suffolk Railway

1860

• Belfast and Northern Counties Railway 1903 >> Midland Railway
  

1861

• South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway
• Oswestry and Newtown Railway 1864 >> Cambrian Railways
  
• Worcester and Hereford Railway 1860 >> West Midland Railway
  

1862

• Great Eastern Railway 1923 >> London and North Eastern Railway
  
• Irish North Western Railway 1876 >> Great Northern Railway (Ireland).

1863

• Oswestry, Ellesmere and Welshpool Railway 1864 >> Cambrian Railways
  
• Newtown and Machynlleth Railway 1864 >> Cambrian Railways
  
• Metropolitan Railway 1933 >> London Passenger Transport Board
  
• Bathgate and Coatbridge Railway 1865 >> Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
  

1864

• Cambrian Railways 1923 >> Great Western Railway
  
• District Railway 1933 >> London Passenger Transport Board
  

1865

• Highland Railway 1923 >> London, Midland and Scottish Railway
  

1873

• Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway

1875

• Northern Railway of Ireland 1876 >> Great Northern Railway (Ireland).

1876

• Great Northern Railway (Ireland)

1884

• Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway

1897

• Great Central Railway

See Also

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