Caledonian Railway
1920 map of the railway | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Glasgow |
| Dates of operation | 1847 – 1923 |
| Successor | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 1,118 miles 13 chains (1,799.5 km) (1919) |
| Track length | 2,836 miles 66 chains (4,565.4 km) (1919) |
The Caledonian Railway (CR) was one of the two biggest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping. It was formed in 1845 with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh and Aberdeen, with a dense network of branch lines in the area surrounding Glasgow. It was absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Many of its principal routes are still used, and the original main line between Carlisle and Glasgow is in use as part of the West Coast Main Line railway (with a modified entry into Glasgow itself).