Southern Railway (UK)

For other uses see Southern Railway

Southern Railway

Coat-of-arms of the Southern Railway
History
1923	Grouping; Southern Railway is created
1929	Phase one of electrification scheme complete
1930	Richard Maunsell's SR V "Schools" class introduced
1937	Oliver Bulleid becomes Chief Mechanical Engineer
1941	First SR Merchant Navy Class Pacific unveiled
1948	Nationalised
Constituent companies
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway London & South Western Railway South Eastern and Chatham Railway See full List of constituent companies of the Southern Railway
Successor organisation
1948	Southern Region of British Railways
Key locations
Headquarters	Waterloo station, London
Workshops	Ashford Brighton Eastleigh
Major stations	Waterloo station Victoria Charing Cross
Inherited route mileage
1923	2,186 miles (3,518 km) Mileage shown as at end of year stated. Source: Whitehouse, Patrick & Thomas, David St.John: SR 150, Introduction

The Southern Railway (SR), was one of the Big Four British railway companies from 1923 to 1948. It was established under the Railways Act 1921. The railway was formed by the amalgamation of smaller companies. The largest of these were the London and South Western Railway, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.

The SR contained notable examples of civil engineering, linking London with the Channel ports, South West England and Kent. Construction of what was to become the Southern began in 1838 with the opening of the London and Southampton Railway, which was renamed the London and South Western Railway.

Related pages

• SR multiple unit numbering and classification