1825-1839: The railway arrives
A number of schemes for a railway linking London with Brighton were considered from 1823 onwards. Finally, in 1837 the London and Brighton Railway Act was passed authorising the line to be built from London Bridge via Croydon and Redhill.
Railway companies in Great Britain were generally created by private Acts of Parliament which enabled compulsory purchase of land. This letter sent to a landowner details the land required for the London and Brighton Railway scheme (Solicitors for the Bill 1836).
1840s: Railway mania
In the 1840s proposals for numerous railway projects resulted in a surge in railway share prices. When many of these plans proved to be unsustainable, the result was a dramatic crash, with many investors being ruined. The press labelled the bubble ‘Railway Mania’.
A letter to an investor in the South Eastern Railway (1844). This letter confirms the purchase of 165 shares in the SER. Between 1845 and 1849 the prices of shares in railways fell by over 60%.
1850s: Bon Voyage!
The first railway company steamer services to France, connecting to the railways on both sides of the channel, ran in 1846. By the 1850s the South Eastern Railway was operating regular services from Dover and from its own harbour at Folkestone.
South Eastern Railway Timetable and Map (1856). The map shows the mainline from London Bridge to Folkestone via Redhill, before the short cut via Sevenoaks was opened in the late 1860s. The South Eastern’s main ferry routes were to Boulogne and Ostend.
1860s: The workforce expands
In the 1860s, railway companies in Britain exerted strong, almost military discipline over their workers, providing housing, education and amenities, but also controlling their lives and families.
Employee Misconduct List (LBSCR 1862). Intended as an example to others, this list of employee misdemeanours and punishments was circulated to supervisors who were requested to make their subordinates aware of it.
1870s: Diary of a driver
The 1870s saw the British railway network expand significantly. The railway industry required a large workforce for maintenance and operation. By the 1870s over 250,000 were employed.
Diary kept by London Brighton and South Coast Driver (1874). Literacy levels in the general population had risen to around 75% by the 1870s. All train drivers were required to read and write. Many kept diaries such as this example from Driver Harland of Brighton depot.
1880s: The Lewes to East Grinstead line opens
The Lewes to East Grinstead railway line was opened to traffic on 1st August 1882. British Railways closed it in the late 1950s, but the Bluebell Railway reopened the section from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes in 1960.
Notice about the opening of the Lewes to East Grinstead Line (LB&SCR 1882). This notice was circulated to Engine Drivers, Guards, Signalmen and other staff to inform them about the opening of the line.
1890s: The royal road
During Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, railways played a crucial role in both her personal travel and the nation’s celebrations.
Leaflets about special arrangements for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee (LSWR 1897). These leaflets detail the special arrangements made to transport spectators to the celebrations in London on 22nd June and to the Fleet Review at Spithead on 26th June.
1900s: Holidays by rail
During the Edwardian era, holidays by rail were popular. They offered a mix of luxury and convenience, with destinations ranging from seaside resorts to scenic mountain routes.
To the Sunny Coast’ (LB&SCR 1909). This booklet advertises destinations on the south coast served by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). The company used the term ‘Sunny South Coast’ in a lot of its marketing. In 1904 ‘The Sunny South Express’ began running from Liverpool and Manchester to Brighton and Eastbourne.
1910s: Women at war
In 1914, as men left to fight in World War I, women stepped into railway roles, initially filling domestic positions like cleaning, washing and waitressing, but later taking on a wider variety of jobs including clerical, telephone and telegraph duties.
Notebook of a lady ticket collector at Havant Station 1914-1918 and photograph. This notebook contains details of fares from various stations to Havant. It would have been used as an aide-memoire.
1920s: The railway centenary
In 1925, the centenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway was celebrated with a grand parade of locomotives and rolling stock, historical tableaux and a film recording the event.
Railway Centenary Procession & Exhibition (1925), The Centenary of Railways (1925). These brochures were produced for the celebrations. The procession of locomotives and rolling stock along part of the Stockton and Darlington line took place on 2nd July 1925. The Southern Railway’s ‘King Arthur’ class 4-6-0 was part of the cavalcade.
1930s: The Southern Railway
Railway grouping in 1923 had resulted in the merger of over a hundred companies into the ‘Big Four’. The Southern Railway, formed mainly by combining the LSWR, LB&SCR and SECR, was dominant in Southern England. It was quick to establish a strong brand image.
Southern Electric Area Map (1929), Southern Electric Brochure (1939). During the 1930s the Southern Railway expanded its electric train network from London’s suburbs. It used the ‘Southern Electric’ sub brand to market its services.
1940s: Southern at war
During the Second World War the railway network was crucial for transporting troops and supplies and evacuating civilians. The Southern Railway, with its territory closest to occupied Europe, was in the thick of the action.
Agreed list of underbridges and other works (July 1940). After the fall of France in June 1940, with invasion thought to be imminent, the authorities prepared this list of structures which were to be demolished to prevent the railway being used by the enemy.
Damage by Enemy Action Forms (1940s). When the bombing of Britain began forms like this were used to record damage to the railway.
1950s: The Modernisation Plan
Following nationalisation in 1948, British Railways began the process of modernisation. The ‘Modernisation Plan’ of 1955 aimed to replace steam locomotives with diesel and electric traction, increase speed and reliability, and win back traffic lost to roads.
Instructions for Operating Multiple Diesel Electric Trains (British Railways 1957). The Southern Region of British Railways, which had inherited most of the old Southern Railway territory, embarked on further electrification and began dieselisation. This booklet explains the operation of new diesel trains.
1960s: From steam to electric
Steam traction on the Southern Region of British Railways officially ended on Sunday, 9th July 1967, with the last steam-hauled passenger train, the 14.09 from Weymouth to Waterloo.
The ‘Bournemouth Belle’ Pullman also ran (albeit diesel hauled) for the last time on the same day. Electric trains began operating to Bournemouth on Monday, 10th July.
These three documents cover the transition on the Bournemouth line:
- The final Engine Workings, Steam, 3 April 1967
- The last ever Bournemouth Belle Menu (1967)
- A leaflet explaining the new electrification, ‘Faster Journeys, More Trains’ (1967)
1970s: Cheap day returns
In the 1970s, British Rail promoted travel through a combination of marketing campaigns. There was a noticeable shift towards promoting individual and family leisure travel.
Bargain Weekend Tickets leaflet (1972) and other leaflets. The Southern Region of British Rail issued its own marketing materials to promote cheaper leisure fares to encourage people to travel by train.
1980s: Sectorisation
British Rail sectorisation, implemented in the 1980s, involved splitting the national railway system into distinct ‘business sectors’ or operating units, moving away from the traditional regional structure.
Network News (Network SouthEast 1988). InterCity booklet (1993). Network SouthEast operated most trains in the former Southern Region territory, whilst InterCity ran express services connecting places such as Bournemouth and Brighton with destinations in the north. Both sectors used powerful branding, apparent in these staff newspapers.
1990s: The Channel Tunnel
Work began on the Channel Tunnel in 1988, and it was officially opened on 6th May 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand.
Project brief – Channel Tunnel Rail Link (1997). Although the tunnel itself opened in 1994, the construction of a high-speed line to link it to London was delayed until the passage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act in 1996. This project brief from the following year explains the plans for construction of the railway. The line was built in two stages with the first opening in 2003 and the second in 2007. It is now known as High Speed One (HS1).
2000s: Privatisation
In the system of ‘privatisation’ introduced from 1996 onwards, Train Operating Companies (TOCs) operated under franchises granted by the Department for Transport (DfT) to run services on specific routes for a set period.
Mini-Guide Bristol and Bath to London Waterloo – South West Trains (2005-6). The South West Trains contract was awarded to the Stagecoach group. It was actually the first franchise to begin running services. On 4th February 1996, the company operated the first privatised scheduled train since December 1947. South West Trains continued until 2017 when South Western Railway replaced it.
2010s: Network renewal
In the 2010s London Bridge Station underwent a major redevelopment project. Construction began in 2012 with the station opening in its transformed state in 2018.
London Bridge Re-Signalling HL17 Version 2 Brochure (Southeastern TOC 2017). During the reconstruction work Southeastern produced a series of brochures to keep its drivers and other staff members informed.
2020s: The digital railway
In the 2020s Network Rail continues to digitalise the railway through a multi-faceted approach. Digital timetables allow for easy searching, updates, and access to a wider range of information.
Rail Times for Great Britain 2019/20 (Middleton Press 2019). George Bradshaw published the first all line passenger timetable in 1839. By the 2010s it was possible to download digital versions. This, combined with the increasing cost of paper, meant that this edition covering 2019/2020 was the last ever.
