West Midland Railway

The West Midland Railway was an early British railway company. It was formed on 1 July 1860 by the which merged several older railway companies. It was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 August 1863. It was the successor to the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway.

History

Constituents

The original constituent companies were the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, the Worcester and Hereford Railway, and the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway ; which had already absorbed the Stratford and Moreton Tramway.
On 1 July 1861, the leased the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway. In 1862, it also leased the Leominster and Kington Railway and the Severn Valley Railway.

Amalgamation with the GWR

The West Midland Railway was dissolved by the on 1 August 1863, with its powers and obligations being vested in the Great Western Railway. The West Midland Railway Company itself continued in existence until complete amalgamation was brought about by the Great Western Railway Act 1872.