page updated
19 August 2017

Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway

Earlier Eastern & Midlands Chronology

Date Event Source
9th June 1893 Royal assent given to Midland and Great Northern Railway Companies (Eastern and Midlands Railway) Act 1893 authorising the Eastern & Midlands Railway to be vested in the Joint Committee of the Midland & Eastern and Norwich & Spalding companies on and from 1 July 1893 and for the combined organisation to be incorporated under the title of the "Midland and Great Northern Railways Joint Committee". Act of Parliament.
1st July 1893 "Midland and Great Northern Railways Joint Committee" formally came into being. Act of Parliament.
1st May 1894 Saxby to Bourne opened fully. Mike Back.
1st January 1895 Spalding Traffic Manager's functions merged with those of the eastern section at King's Lynn HQ.
1896 Midland Railway Act - Cromer & Mundesley Railway. 1903 MR Act
18th March 1897 Agreement between M&GN and Great Eastern Railway. Agreement formed part of the 1898 Act below and included withdrawal of the bill for the Austin Street Branch then before parliament.  
1897 Midland & Great Northern Act 1897. 1898 Act of Parliament.
1897 Third Cross Keys Bridge opened at Sutton Bridge. Carries road traffic on one side and rail on the other. RM 1908-8.
20th June 1898 North Walsham to Mundesley opened for freight. Mike Back.
1st July 1898 North Walsham to Mundesley opened fully. RM 1936-9.
1st July 1898 Royal assent given to Midland Railway Act 1898 authorising the Midland & Great Northern Joint Committee to purchase additional lands at Honing, Weston and Whaplode.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
25th July 1898 Royal assent given to Great Eastern and Midland & Great Northern Joint Committee Act 1898 authorising:
  • North Walsham to Mundesley transferred to Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Committee.
  • Confirmed agreement to withdraw the bill concerning the Austin Street Branch from the parliamentary session of 1897.
Act of Parliament.
1899 Midland Railway Act - extension of time to puchase lands for Cromer & Mundesley Railway. 1903 MR Act
1900 Peterborough to Thorney doubled. RM 1908-8.
1900 Raynham Park to Fakenham doubled. RM 1908-8.
1900 Melton Constable to Corpusty doubled. RM 1908-8.
30th July 1900 Royal Assent given to Great Northern Railway Act 1900 which included provision for a new bridge on the up side of the Great Northern Railway under the Midland & Great Northern Railway at Peterborough.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
31st July 1902 Royal Assent given to Midland Railway Act 1902 authorising acquisition of lands on the south side of railway at Sheringham and on the east side of Mill Lane, Sheringham.
Also extension of time to acquire lands for the deviation of the Cromer and Mundesley Railway.
Also extension of time for completion of the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Railway.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
30th June 1903 Royal assent given to Midland Railway Act 1903 which authorised acquisition of additional lands on the east side of the line at Caister north of Dinah's Gap; also additional lands adjoining the Yarmouth Union Line between Garrison Walk and Rampart Row. Extension of time granted to complete purchase of lands for the Cromer and Mundesley Railway; also lands in Sheringham and south of Breydon Water.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
21st July 1903 Royal Assent given to Great Northern Railway Act 1903 which included extension of time for the purchase of additional land at Bourn.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
24th June 1904 Royal Assent given to Midland Railway Act 1904. Authorised the M&GN to take possession of lands in the parishes of Runton and Walton.
Also extended time given by the Midland Railway Act of 1901 for compulsory purchase of lands in the parishes of Sutton Bridge, West Walton, Hillington, Roydon and Congham, Helhoughton and Tatterford, Barney and Thursford, Hemsby.
Also extension of time to complete Deviation of the Cromer and Mundesley Railway No.2 authorised by the Midland Railway Act 1899.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
c1905 Drayton for Cossey station renamed Drayton for Costessey. Quick.
9th August 1907 Royal Assent given to Midland Railway Act 1907. Authorised the M&GN and Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Committee (and others) in respect of their joint ownership of the Tottenham & Forest Gate Railway to sell land not required for that railway. Act of Parliament.
15th August 1913 Royal Assent given to Great Northern Railway Act 1913. Authorised purchase of additional lands near the Lound Viaduct, south side of the line at Twenty, adjoining Lincoln Road in Peterborough, to the south west of Thursford, at Briningham, by Workhouse Lane in Holt, in Thurning, on the borders of Banningham and Felmingham. Act of Parliament.
5th August 1914 Government took possession from midnight 4-5 August under Section 16 of the Regulation of Forces Act, 1871. Control exercised through a Railway Executive. Warren.
1st June 1916 Great Northern Railway Rule Book into use. Bulletin 661/6.
1st January 1920 Ministry of Transport replaced Railway Executive as the controlling body; authorised under Transport Act, 1919. Warren.
4th August 1920 Royal Assent given to Great Northern Railway Act 1920. Authorised purchase of additional lands at Counter Drain, Cromer, Hemsby, Long Sutton, Gedney, Holbeach, Potter Heigham, Twenty and Whitwell. Act of Parliament.
16th August 1921 Decontrolled from midnight 15-16 August. Warren.
19th August 1921 Royal assent given to the Railways Act 1921 which 'grouped' most of the UK railways into one of four large companies. The M&GN was not specifically mentioned in the Act but the parent companies were. Act of Parliament.
12th November 1921 Notice by Great Northern Railway of application to build a new road and close a crossing at Tydd (Foul Anchor); purchase new lands at Caister and Tydd.
View Notice
London Gazette, 17th November, pages 9350-9356.
31st July 1923 Royal assent given to the London Midland & Scottish Railway Act 1923 which included authorisation for the M&GN Joint Committee to acquire additional lands in Hemsby, Roydon & Spalding.
Also memorandum of agreement for purchase of freehold of land already leased in Great Yarmouth.
View Act
Act of Parliament.
c 1923 Goods engine livery changed to dark brown with yellow lines and initials. RM 1936-10
1st August 1924 Royal assent given to the London Midland & Scottish Railway Act 1924 which placed the control of the M&GN Joint Committee in the joint control of the London Midland & Scottish and London & North Eastern Railways. Warren.
c 1929 Passenger engine livery changed to dark brown with yellow lines and initials. RM 1936-10
c 1932 South Lynn Sidings extended and modernised. RM 1936-9.
30th September 1936 Retirement of R B Walker, Traffic Manager. RM 1936-9.
1st October 1936 Responsibility for working the line passed fully to London & North Eastern Railway. RM 1936-9.
1st September 1939 Government control imposed and exercised through a Railway Executive Committee under Regulation 69 of the Defence Regulations, Order 1197. Warren.
6th August 1947 Royal assent given to the Transport Act 1947 which established the British Transport Commission and nationalised most of the UK railway system. The M&GN is listed in Schedule 3 as one of the companies to be included in the nationalised railway as from 1 January 1948.
31st December 1947 Last day of independent existence and last day of control by the Railway Executive Committee. Transport Act 1947.
Warren.

Subsequent Chronology