Liste von ehemaligen Eisenbahngesellschaften im Vereinigten Königreich

Dieser Artikel führt alle ehemaligen Eisenbahngesellschaften im Vereinigten Königreich auf, die vor der Privatisierung des britischen Eisenbahnwesens im Jahr 1994 bestanden. Für die heutigen Gesellschaften siehe Liste von Eisenbahngesellschaften im Vereinigten Königreich.

Staatlich

British Rail entstand 1948 bei der Verstaatlichung der vier großen privaten Eisenbahngesellschaften des Landes, den so genannten „Big Four“ und wurde zwischen 1994 und 1997 schrittweise privatisiert und aufgelöst.

The Big Four

Mit dem Railways Act 1921 wurde die meisten Eisenbahngesellschaften in Großbritannien (und einige in Nordirland) zu vier Gesellschaften vereinigt, „The Big Four“ (die großen Vier) genannt. Diese Maßnahme trat am 1. Januar 1923 in Kraft. In Klammern sind die Streckenlängen der einzelnen Gesellschaften zu diesem Zeitpunkt angegeben.

Great Western Railway

7 Gesellschaften zusätzlich 26 Tochtergesellschaften (fett) oder Betriebsgemeinschaften mit einer Gesamtstreckenlänge von 745 km

• Great Western Railway (1835, 4832 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 Harbour 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)
  • Cornwall Minerals Railway (1873–1896)
    • Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway (1862–1892)
    • Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
    • 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)
  • Gwendreath 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
    • Marlborough and Grafton Railway (1896–1899)
  • Monmouthshire Railway and Canal (1845–1880)
    • Blaenavon Tramroad (1792–1845)
  • Neath and Brecon Railway (1864–1921)
    • Dulas Valley Mineral Railway (1862–1864)
  • 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
  • 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
    • 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, gebildet aus
    • Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
      • 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; 17 km)
  • 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
  • Newtown and Machynlleth Railway
  • 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)
  • Penarth Extension Railway
  • Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway
  • 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)

London and North Eastern Railway

7 Gesellschaften zusätzlich 23 Tochtergesellschaften oder Betriebsgemeinschaften mit einer Gesamtstreckenlänge von 499 km

• Great Central Railway (1371 km)
  • Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, gebildet aus
    • Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
    • Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway
    • Great Grimsby & Sheffield Junction Railway
    • Grimsby Docks Company
  • South Yorkshire Railway
  • Wigan Junction Railway
  • Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway
  • North Wales and Liverpool Railway
  • Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway
• Great Eastern Railway (1862, 1916 km)
  • Eastern Counties Railway
  • Northern and Eastern Railway
  • Norfolk Railway
  • Harwich Railway
  • East Anglian Railway
  • East Suffolk Railway
• Great Northern Railway (1846, 1690 km)
  • Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
  • London and York Railway
  • Direct Northern Railway
• Hull and Barnsley Railway (171 km)
• North Eastern Railway (1854, 2826 km)
  • Brackenhill Light Railway
  • Blyth and Tyne Railway
  • Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
  • Stockton and Darlington Railway
  • York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
  • York and North Midland Railway
• Great North of Scotland Railway (1846, 538 km)
  • Aberdeen and Turriff Railway
  • Aboyne and Braemar Railway
  • Alford Valley Railway
  • Banffshire Railway
  • Banff, Macduff and Turriff Extension Railway
  • Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway
  • Deeside Railway
  • Deeside Extension Railway
  • Formartine and Buchan Railway
  • Inverurie and Old Meldrum Railway
  • Keith and Dufftown Railway
  • Morayshire Railway
  • Strathspey Railway
• North British Railway (1844, 2216 km)
  • Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
  • Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
  • Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
  • Newburgh and North Fife Railway
  • Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
• Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (1893)

London, Midland and Scottish Railway

10 Gesellschaften, zusätzlich 27 Tochtergesellschaften oder Betriebsgemeinschaften mit einer Gesamtstreckenlänge von 915 km.

• London and North Western Railway (1846 gebildet aus 45 unabhängigen Gesellschaften, 4289 km)
  • inkl. Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (1847-Fusion am 1. Januar 1922)
    • Liverpool and Bury Railway
    • Manchester and Leeds Railway
    • Manchester and Bolton Railway
    • Ashton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway
    • Liverpool and Bury Railway
    • East Lancashire Railway
    • Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole Railway
• Furness Railway (1846, 254 km)
  • Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
  • Coniston Railway
• Furness and Midland Joint Railway
• Midland Railway (1844, 3490 km)
  • North Midland Railway
  • Midland Counties Railway
  • Midland and South Western Junction Railway
  • Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
  • Leicester and Swannington Railway
  • Sheffield and Rotherham Railway
  • Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
  • Leeds and Bradford Railway
  • Leeds and Bradford Extention Railway
  • North Western Railway
    • Morecambe Harbour and Railway
  • Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Goole Railway
• North Staffordshire Railway (355 km)
• Caledonian Railway (1792 km)
  • Wishaw and Coltness Railway
  • Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway
  • Dundee and Newtyle Railway
  • Scottish Central Railway
  • Scottish North Eastern Railway
  • Callander and Oban Railway
  • Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
  • Cathcart District Railway
  • Brechin and Edzell District Railway
  • Killin Railway
• Glasgow and South Western Railway (1850, 793 km)
  • Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
  • Glasgow and Ayr Railway
  • Ardrossan Railway
• Highland Railway (1865, 814 km)
  • Dingwall and Skye Railway
  • Duke of Sutherland's Railway
  • Findhorn Railway
  • Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
  • Inverness and Nairn Railway
  • Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
  • Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
  • Nairn and Keith Railway
  • Perth and Dunkeld Railway
  • Sutherland Railway
  • Sutherland and Caithness Railway
• Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway (43 km)
• Northern Counties Committee (427 km)
• Great Northern Railway (Irland)
  • Liverpool and Manchester Railway
  • London and Birmingham Railway
  • Grand Junction Railway
  • Manchester and Birmingham Railway
  • Chester and Crewe Railway
  • Chester and Holyhead Railway
  • Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
  • Cromford and High Peak Railway
  • Kendal and Windermere Railway
  • Watford and Rickmansworth Railway
• London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (1862)
  • London and Blackwall Railway
• Maryport and Carlisle Railway (1845)
• North London Railway (1846)
• North Staffordshire Railway (1845)

Southern Railway

4 Gesellschaften zusätzlich 26 Tochtergesellschaften oder Betriebsgemeinschaften mit einer Gesamtstreckenlänge von 577 km

• London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (1846, 735 km)
  • Surrey Iron Railway
  • Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway
  • London and Croydon Railway
  • London and Brighton Railway
• London and South Western Railway (1840, 1641 km)
  • London and Southampton Railway
  • Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
  • Richmond Railway
  • Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway
  • Southampton and Dorchester Railway
  • Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway
  • Lymington Railway
• South Eastern Railway (1836) und London, Chatham and Dover Railway (1025 km, mit der gemeinsamen Betriebsgesellschaft South Eastern and Chatham Railways' Managing Committee)
  • London and Greenwich Railway
  • Canterbury and Whitstable Railway
• Isle of Wight Central Railway
• London, Chatham and Dover Railway (1859)
  • East Kent Railway

Bahngesellschaften die nicht zu den Big Four kamen

Nachfolgend sind Bahngesellschaften aufgelistet, die vor der Konzentration im Jahr 1923 bestanden. In Klammern steht jeweils das Gründungsjahr.

London Passenger Transport Board Constituents

• Metropolitan Railway (1854)

Weitere Gesellschaften

• Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway (1901–1917)
• Pentewan Railway (1829)
• Redruth and Chasewater Railway (1826)
• Wantage Tramway (1873–1945)
• West Somerset Mineral Railway (1855)

Literatur

• Christopher Awdry: Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Stephens/Guild Publishing, Wellingborough/London 1990, ISBN 1-852600-49-7.