West Midland Railway

For other uses, see West Midlands Railway.

West Midland Railway Act 1860
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for the Amalgamation of the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford and the Worcester and Hereford Railway Companies with the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway Company, under the Name of "The West Midland Railway Company."
Citation	23 & 24 Vict. c. lxxxi
Dates
Royal assent	14 June 1860

The West Midland Railway ^[1] was an early British railway company. It was formed on 1 July 1860 by the West Midland Railway Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. lxxxi) which merged several older railway companies. It was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 August 1863. It was the successor to the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWWR). ^[2]

History

Constituents

West Midland Railway (Additional Works) Act 1862
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorize the West Midland Railway Company to construct additional Works, and to raise further Sums of Money; to provide Facilities for the Passage of their Traffic to Newport in the County of Monmouth; to regulate their Powers of raising Money in respect of certain other Undertakings; and for other Purposes.
Citation	25 & 26 Vict. c. clxviii
Dates
Royal assent	17 July 1862
Text of statute as originally enacted

West Midland Railway Act 1863
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to grant further Powers to the West Midland Railway Company, and to enable them to make a Branch Railway in the County of Glamorgan; and for other Purposes.
Citation	26 & 27 Vict. c. cxxxvi
Dates
Royal assent	13 July 1863

The original constituent companies were the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway (incorporated 1846 and opened 1854), the Worcester and Hereford Railway (incorporated 1853 and opened 1859), and the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (incorporated 1845 and opened 1850); which had already absorbed the Stratford and Moreton Tramway (incorporated 1821 and opened 1826).

On 1 July 1861, the WMR leased the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway (incorporated 1853 and opened 1857). In 1862, it also leased the Leominster and Kington Railway (opened 1857) and the Severn Valley Railway (from opening).

Amalgamation with the GWR

Great Western Railway (West Midland Amalgamation) Act 1863
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for the Amalgamation of the West Midland Railway Company with the Great Western Railway Company; and for other Purposes.
Citation	26 & 27 Vict. c. cxiii
Dates
Royal assent	13 July 1863
Text of statute as originally enacted

The West Midland Railway was dissolved by the Great Western Railway (West Midland Amalgamation) Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. cxiii) on 1 August 1863, with its powers and obligations being vested in the Great Western Railway. The West Midland Railway Company itself continued in existence until complete amalgamation was brought about by the Great Western Railway Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. cxxix). ^[3]

Taff Vale Extension of the West Midland Railway and Crumlin Viaduct.

See also

• List of early British railway companies

References

1. Yolland, Col W (1861). "West Midland Railway" (PDF). Accident Returns. Board of Trade. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
2. "Round Oak Station". Railaroundbirmingham.co.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
3. Nabarro, Sir Gerald (1971). Severn Valley Steam. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 50. ISBN   0-7100-7064-0.