railways.co.ukHistory of the UK Railway Network
It is thought that the first railway use in the UK occurred in the mining industry - it was common for miners to use a form of rail line as a means of transport. These were generally either propelled by hand or by animal power. Iron rails probably first appeared to make this kind of transport easier to run in the mid-1700s.
In 1782 the first steam engine (that could turn its own wheels) was invented by James Watt and developments carried on until the 1800s which really were the ‘age’ of UK railways. In 1804, for example, Richard Trevithick built a steam locomotive railway in Wales which was used to transport iron. A few years later Trevithick built a circular railway route for the general public - it went round in a circle rather than taking passengers from A to B but they were happy to pay for the experience!
In 1825 George Stephenson (perhaps the best known railway inventor) opened the Darlington to Stockton line and a few years later his locomotive (The Rocket) set a new speed record at the Rainhill Trials where it reached the astonishing (for the time!) speed of around 29 miles per hour! During the rest of this century developments led to more passenger based steam railways and the development of steel rails and Britain continued to be a leading light in the railway field both over ground and underground.
In the early 1900s steam still ruled the railway and in the 1930s The Mallard set a new world record when it reached a speed of around 125 miles per hour. This century gradually saw the decline in the age of steam, however, and the introduction of diesel engines and electrified railway systems.
This century also saw the start of the nationalisation of the UK’s railways. In 1948 British Railways (BR) was set up to run the entire country network amalgamating the four main rail companies of the time. The emphasis of the railway network gradually moved from freight to passengers and people wanted faster times so the race began to truly create high speed trains that could cut the times of both local and national rail travel.
In 1975, for example, British Rail’s Advanced Passenger Train clocked a speed of over 150 miles per hour setting standards for the rest of the world and in the 1980s its High Speed Train reached a similar speed, setting a record for diesel locomotion.
In the 1980s British Rail was split into five sections that devolved responsibility for the UK railway network to different companies. And, in the early 1990s the company was privatised and sold off giving us the network of individual rail operators and companies that we have today.