The Signalling Record Society

Regional & Other Boundary Changes

This page should be regarded as “Work in Progress”. The webmaster will welcome additional information for this page.

Over time the boundaries of the various British Railways Regions changed which can sometimes make it difficult to locate and research signalling information. Privatisation did not stem this flow of change as Railtrack and Network Rail continued the ingrained habit of reorganisation.

On this page are recorded some of the implemented boundary changes that were published through the medium of weekly engineering notices and the amendments to the timetable appendices. Looking through these lists may well assist in determining where to look for information about specific places of interest at different time periods.

1948 Nationalisation

The bulk of the lines operated by the “Big Four” railway companies were divided into six British Railways regions:

• Eastern. The Great Eastern and Great Northern sections of the former London & North Eastern Railway, south of Shaftholme Junction; Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway.
  
  
• London Midland. The London Midland & Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales; Cheshire Lines Railway; Mersey Railway.
  
  
• North Eastern. The North Eastern section of the former London & North Eastern Railway from Shaftholme Junction northwards.
  
  
• Scottish. The former London Midland & Scottish Railway lines in Scotland together with the former London & North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland.
  
  
• Southern. The former Southern Railway; Kent & East Sussex Railway.
  
  
• Western. The former Great Western Railway; Clifton Extension Railway.

London & North Eastern Railway lines in the Manchester area transferred to London Midland Region.

The former London Midland & Scottish Railway lines in Northern Ireland (Northern Counties Committee) intially remained under the control of British Railways and were then transferred to the Ulster Transport Authority in April 1949.

1949

From London Midland Region to Eastern Region

London Tilbury & Southend Lines.

London Midland Region internal

Langton and Sandon Dock stations from Midland to Western Division.

1950

Cowley Bridge westward Southern to Western?

1958

In 1958 the regional structure based largely on the big four company boundaries was amended to a geographic one. The nature of the change led to it being often referred to by the term “Penetrating Lines” as the lines that penetrated another geographic region were the ones transferred. The changes were implemented from 12.1 am on Saturday 1st February.

From Eastern Region to London Midland Region

Great Central Lines other than those in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

From London Midland Region to Eastern Region

Lines in Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire.

From London Midland Region to North Eastern Region

Lines in North and West Yorkshire.

From London Midland Region to Western Region

Also the London Midland lines in South Wales.

From North Eastern Region to London Midland Region

From Southern Region to Western Region

From Western Region to London Midland Region

From Western Region to Southern Region

1963

From 1st January 1963 all lines in the west of Wilton South were transferred from Southern to Western Region. On the same date more of the West Midlands and Mid Wales sections of the Western Region were transferred to London Midland Region.

From Southern Region to Western Region

From Western Region to London Midland Region

All lines north of the following locations:

1967 Merger

The Eastern and North Eastern regions merged back together.

1974

From Western Region to London Midland Region

London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street

Sectorisation

The commercial aspects of the railway were transferred to the new railway business sectors whilst operations remained regional.