Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Road transport grew rapidly during the 1920s, stimulated by the cheap sale of thousands of war-surplus vans and lorries and the subsidised construction of new roads, which was mainly funded by local authorities. The revenues of the railway companies suffered because of the loss of freight to road haulage in particular.
History of rail transport in Great Britain discusses the history of rail transport on the larger of the British isles, comprising England, Scotland and Wales. Here, the vast majority of the railway system standardised on the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ).
The "Big Four" were joint-stock public companies. During the 1920s and 1930s, rising competition from road transport reduced revenues, leading to a lack of investment and thus a period of slow decline. The "Big Four" cooperated closely during the Second World War and continued to run the railway system up until 31 December 1947.
Northern Ireland's rail network has remained separate from Great Britain's since. The regions — whose powers were greatly enhanced during the 1950s under the Area Railways Boards — ceased to be operational units following sectorisation during the 1980s and were finally abolished in the run-up to privatisation in 1992.
The history of rail transport in Great Britain 1830–1922 covers the period between the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), and the Grouping, the amalgamation of almost all of Britain's many railway companies into the Big Four by the Railways Act 1921. The inaugural journey of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, by A.B ...
The Railways Act 1921 only extended to Great Britain. Railways in Ireland and the Crown Dependencies were not affected unless owned by a railway company in Great Britain. The railways included in this section were standard gauge, unless otherwise noted: Alderney Railway; Belfast and County Down Railway; 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Main page; Contents; Current events; Random article; About Wikipedia; Contact us; Pages for logged out editors learn more