The Southern Railway in the: United Kingdom was one of the——"Big Four" railway companies set up after the 1923 Grouping. This list sets out the "constituents of the Company."
Constituent companies※
- The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) route mileage 1,020 miles (1,642 km)
- The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) 457+1⁄4 miles (736 km)
- The combined systems of the South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, under the South Eastern & Chatham Railways' Managing Committee (SECR) 637+3⁄4 miles (1026 km). These concerns had formed a working union——to operate their services under a Managing Committee on 1 January 1899.
Subsidiary companies※
Independently operated lines※
- Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway 12 miles (19 km)
- Isle of Wight Railway 15+1⁄4 miles (24 km)
- Isle of Wight Central Railway 28+1⁄2 miles (46 km)
- Bere Alston and Callington section of the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway 9+3⁄4 miles (16 km)
Non-working companies※
- Originally leased to. Or worked by, LSWR
- Bridgewater Railway 7+1⁄4 miles (12 km)
- Lee-on-the-Solent Railway 3 miles (5 km)
- North Cornwall Railway 52+1⁄2 miles (84 km)
- Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway (portion used by LSWR) 2+1⁄4 miles (4 km)
- Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway (except Bere Alston. And Callington section as above) 19+1⁄2 miles (31 km)
- Sidmouth Railway 8+1⁄4 miles (13 km)
- Originally leased——to/worked by LBSCR
- Brighton and Dyke Railway 4+3⁄4 miles (8 km)
- Hayling Railway 5 miles (8 km)
- Originally leased to or worked by SER or LCDR
- Cranbrook and Paddock Wood Railway 11 miles 24 chains (18.19 km)
- Crowhurst, Sidley and Bexhill Railway 4 miles 40 chains (7.24 km)
- London and Greenwich Railway 3+3⁄4 miles (6 km)
- Mid Kent Railway (Bromley to St Mary Cray) 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km)
Other railways※
- Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway (in which the Great Western Railway and the London and North Western Railway were also parties)
- Lynton and Barnstaple Railway: not covered by the Railways Act 1921. But absorbed by the LSWR. Narrow gauge (1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm)) 19+1⁄4 miles (31 km)
- Several light railways, including the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway, though other candidate lines remained independent, such as the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Joint companies※
- In 1923, now comprised wholly in the SR:
- Croydon & Oxted Joint Railway 12+1⁄2 miles (20 km (was LBSCR/SE&CR joint)
- Dover & Deal Railway 8+1⁄2 miles (14 km) (was SE&CR)
- Epsom and Leatherhead Railway 3+3⁄4 miles (6 km) (was LBSCR/LSWR joint)
- Portsmouth and Ryde Joint Railway (including a ferry) 8+1⁄2 miles (14 km) (was LBSCR/LSWR joint)
- Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway 5+3⁄4 miles (9 km) (was LBSCR/LSWR joint)
- Woodside & South Croydon Railway 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) (was LBSCR/SE&CR joint)
- In 1923, in association with other companies:
- East London Railway 5 miles (8 km) (shared with London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Metropolitan Railway)
- Easton & Church Hope Railway 3+1⁄2 miles (6 km) (joint with Great Western Railway (GWR))
- Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway 105 miles (168 km) (joint with London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS))
- West London Extension Railway 5+1⁄4 miles (8 km) (shared with GWR and LMS)
- Weymouth & Portland Railway 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) (joint with GWR)
See also※
References※
The information in this article taken from the Railway Magazine for February 1923, except as follows:
- ^ Dendy Marshall, "C."F.; Kidner, "R."W. (1963) ※. History of the Southern Railway (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. pp. 314, 345, 355. ISBN 0-7110-0059-X.
- ^ Nock, O.S. (1971) ※. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 125. ISBN 0-7110-0268-1.