- Swedish Government RailwayBiographyBiography
Government agency created in 1887 with the task of managing all state-owned railway lines in Sweden.
- Egyptian State RailwaysBiographyBiography
In 1851 the Regent of Egypt and Sudan, Abbas I, contracted Robert Stephenson to build Egypt's first standard gauge railway. Construction began on the line in 1851 and in 1854 a section was opened from Alexandria to the village of Kafr El-Eiss. In 1856 the entire single track line was opened with 12 stations including the main stations of Cairo (constructed in 1855) and Alexandria (constructed in 1854). In 1919, the railways became entrusted to the Ministry of Communications and in 1953, Egypt became a republic and Egyptian State Railways changed to become Egyptian Republic Railways.
- Belfast & County Down RailwayBiographyBiography
Irish railway linking Belfast with County Down. Incorporated in 1846, with the first section opening in 1848. It was absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948.
- Gefle-Dala Railway (Sweden)BiographyBiography
Swedish Railway, known to have been extant 1858.
- Hudiksvall & Forssa RailwayBiographyBiography
Swedish railway known to have been active in 1859.
- Dublin & Drogheda RailwayBiographyBiography
Irish railway company. It received royal assent to construct the railway line between Dublin and Drogheda on 13 August 1836. The railway officially opened on 25 May 1844.
The company merged with the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway in 1875 to form the Northern Railway of Ireland.
- Dundalk & Enniskillen Railway (Ireland)BiographyBiography
Irish Railway founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER). It opened the first section of its line, from Dundalk Quay Street to Castleblayney, in 1849. In 1862, the company merged with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway to form the Irish North Western Railway (INWR).
- Egyptian State RailwaysBiographyBiography
In 1851 the Regent of Egypt and Sudan, Abbas I, contracted Robert Stephenson to build Egypt's first standard gauge railway. Construction began on the line in 1851 and in 1854 a section was opened from Alexandria to the village of Kafr El-Eiss. In 1856 the entire single track line was opened with 12 stations including the main stations of Cairo (constructed in 1855) and Alexandria (constructed in 1854). In 1919, the railways became entrusted to the Ministry of Communications and in 1953, Egypt became a republic and Egyptian State Railways changed to become Egyptian Republic Railways.
- Victorian RailwaysBiographyBiography
In 1883 the Victorian Railways Commissioners Act, 47 Vic., No.767, brought the staff of the Department of Railways, founded in 1856, under the jurisdiction of the Railway Commissioners, which became known as Victorian Railways. This act gave Victorian Railways the authority to construct, manage and maintain the railways of the state.
In 1889 Newport replaced Williamstown as the location of the Victorian Railways workshop, and being the largest in Australia. The Victorian Railways Head Office was located in Spencer Street from 1893, and housed the branch’s design and administrative functions. In 1919, the electrification of the Melbourne suburban system commenced and was completed in 1930. In 1922 the Border Railway Act extended some of Victorian Railways lines into New South Wales. In 1961 a standard gauge line connecting to the New South Wales system was constructed to allow travel between Melbourne and Sydney for the first time.
In 1973 the Railways Amendment Act passed the management to a Victorian Railways Board from the Victorian Railways Commissioners. In 1974 Victorian Railways became VicRail.
- London & North Western Railway CoBiographyBiography
The London & North Western Railway Co (LNWR) was established in 1846 following the amalgamation of the London & Birmingham, Manchester & Birmingham and Grand Junction Railways. The new company was the largest joint stock company in Britain, and initially had a network of approximately 350 miles (560 km) connecting London with Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.
The LNWR continued to expand and by 1868 the company had added links to Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, Swansea and Cardiff. However, attempts to amalgamate with Midland Railway ended in failure. By 1871 the London & North Western Railway employed 15,000 people. As part of the 1923 Grouping the LNWR became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) Railway.
- Black Sea RailwayBiographyBiography
Railway company, active from the 1960s
- Zaragoza & Alsasua RailwayBiographyBiography
Spanish railway company
- Edinburgh & Glasgow RailwayBiographyBiography
Railway built to link Edinburgh and Glasgow which received its Royal Assent in 1838 and opened in 1842. The line was absorbed into the North British Railway on 1 August 1865.
- Ulster RailwayBiographyBiography
Railway company incorporated in 1836. In 1876 the Ulster Railway merged with the Irish North Western Railway and the Northern Railway of Ireland to form the Great Northern Railway (Ireland).
- Great Southern of India Railway CompanyBiographyBiography
Railway company established in 1853 with its headquarters in England. The company merged with the Carnatic Railway Company (founded in 1869) to form the South India Railway Company in 1874.
- Madras Railway CompanyBiographyBiography
Formed in 1852, incorporated by Act of Parliament, 1853. Main lines ran west from Madras to Bangalore via Jalarpet, south west from Jalarpet to the Malabar Coast at Calicut and north west to Raichur. In 1901, the company took over the portion of the East Coast State Railway between Vizagapatam and Madras, and in 1903 the Nilgiri Railway from Mettupalaiyam to Coonoor.
The Madras Railway was purchased by Government in 1907. The northern portion was given over for working to the Southern Mahratta Railway, which became known as the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the southern portion became part of the South Indian Railway.
- West Midland Railway CoBiographyBiography
Railway company formed in 1860, by the merger of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, the Worcester and Hereford Railway, and the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. The West Midland Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway in 1863.
- North Eastern Railway CoBiographyBiography
The North Eastern Railway Company was formed in 1854 when the York, Newcastle and Berwick, York and North Midland, Leeds Northern, and Malton and Driffield Railways amalgamated. It acquired the West Hartlepool Railway in 1864, the Stockton and Darlington in 1865 and the Blyth and Tyne in 1874. As a result it almost had a monopoly in its area. Its area of operation covered the north east and north Yorkshire, and stretched from Berwick-on-Tweed south to Doncaster, with extensions into Westmorland and Cumberland and into Scotland. It exercised running powers over the North British line from Berwick to Edinburgh and a joint owner of the Forth Bridge. It was also a joint owner of the East Coast Joint Stock with the Great Northern and North British Railways.
Its main goods traffic was coal from the Northumberland and Durham coalfields. It was an early investor in electrification, initially to deal with a difficult approach to the docks but later extended to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne suburban area. It also electrified goods workings between Shildon and Middlesbrough and planned to electrify the York to Newcastle route (even building a prototype locomotive) but the first world war intervened and the work was not carried out.
The headquarters of the NER were in York where it also had its carriage works. The main works were at Shildon. Among its Chief Mechanical Engineers were Wilson Worsdell, Thomas Worsdell and Vincent Raven.
The NER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway under Grouping in 1923.
- North London Railway CoBiographyBiography
Incorporated in 1846 the nominally independent East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway changed its name to the North London Railway in January 1853. Common management with the N&NWR was introduced in February 1909, with the LMS eventually taking over in 1923.