London and North Western Railway
1920 map of the railway | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Euston railway station |
| Dates of operation | 16 July 1846– 31 December 1922 |
| Predecessor | Grand Junction Railway London and Birmingham Railway Manchester and Birmingham Railway |
| Successor | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 2,066 miles 6 chains (3,325.0 km) (1919) |
| Track length | 5,818 miles 59 chains (9,364.4 km) (1919) |
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world.
Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connected four of the largest cities in England; London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, and, through cooperation with their Scottish partners, the Caledonian Railway also connected Scotland's largest cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Today this route is known as the West Coast Main Line. The LNWR's network also extended into Wales and Yorkshire.
In 1923, it became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway, and, in 1948, the London Midland Region of British Railways.