North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom) facts for kids
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1920 map of the railway
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | York |
| Reporting mark | NE |
| Locale | North East, Yorkshire |
| Dates of operation | 1854–31 December 1922 |
| Predecessor | York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway York and North Midland Railway Leeds Northern Railway Malton and Driffield Railway |
| Successor | London and North Eastern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 1,754 miles 73 chains (2,824.3 km) (1919) |
| Track length | 4,990 miles 44 chains (8,031.5 km) (1919) |
The North Eastern Railway (NER) was a major English railway company. It started in 1854 when several smaller railway companies joined together. Later, in 1923, it became part of a much bigger company called the London and North Eastern Railway. Today, its main railway line is still used as part of the East Coast Main Line, which connects London and Edinburgh.
The NER mainly operated in the North East of England, covering areas like Yorkshire, County Durham, and Northumberland. It was almost the only railway in this region, meaning it had a near-monopoly. Its main line was a key part of the "East Coast Main Line" that linked London to Edinburgh.
Even though it was an English company, the NER had a small part of its line in Scotland, near the town of Kelso. This made it the only English railway that fully owned a line in Scotland. The company also helped own the famous Forth railway bridge. The NER was also the only English railway that regularly ran trains into Scotland.
The NER owned about 4,990 miles of track. Its main offices were in York, and it had large workshops in places like Darlington and Gateshead.
The North Eastern Railway was known for being very forward-thinking. It was one of the first companies to focus on good architecture for its buildings and to use electric trains. By 1906, it had special rules agreed with its workers' unions to help solve problems fairly. The company also started collecting old railway items, which later became the National Railway Museum in York.
During the First World War, many NER employees served their country. The company lost 2,236 men, who are remembered on the North Eastern Railway War Memorial in York. The NER even created two special army groups, called 'Pals Battalions', made up of its own employees. This was the first time a company had formed its own army battalions.
The NER's special symbol, seen on its logo, combined symbols from the three main companies that formed it in 1854. These were the York and North Midland Railway, the Leeds Northern Railway, and the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway.
Contents
How the NER Was Formed
The North Eastern Railway was created in 1854 by combining many smaller railway companies. Over the years, it continued to grow by joining with even more companies. This helped the NER become a very large and powerful railway network in the North East of England.
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Some of the first companies to join the NER in 1854 included:
- The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
- The York and North Midland Railway
- The Leeds Northern Railway
- The Malton and Driffield Railway
Over the next few decades, many other railways and even some dock companies became part of the NER. This included the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1863, which was one of the very first public railways in the world.
Dock Companies Joining the NER
The NER also took over several important dock companies. This helped it control the movement of goods by both rail and sea.
- In 1853, the Hartlepool West Harbour and Dock joined.
- In 1893, the Hull Dock Company became part of the NER. These docks handled many different types of cargo, from coal to fruit.
Important Railway Stations
The North Eastern Railway built some of the most impressive train stations in Britain. Many of these stations were known for their grand designs and large, arched roofs.
- York station was the main hub of the entire railway system. The NER's headquarters were also located here. The current station opened in 1877.
- Newcastle station in Newcastle opened in 1850 and became the largest station on the NER network.
- Leeds New Station (now called Leeds) opened in 1869. It was a joint project with another railway company, the London and North Western Railway.
Architects and Design
The NER was special because it was the first railway company to hire its own full-time architects. These architects worked with engineers to design all the railway buildings.
- George Townsend Andrews was the first architect to work with the NER. He designed the first permanent station in York.
- William Bell worked for the NER for 50 years, serving as the chief architect for 37 of those years (1877-1914). He designed many stations, including the impressive Bank Top station.
- Horace Field helped design the beautiful Headquarters Offices in York, which are now The Grand Hotel and Spa. He also designed the company's elegant London office.
The NER paid attention to even small details, like the design of platform benches and footbridges. This focus on good design continued to influence the railway industry for many years.
Leaders of the NER
The North Eastern Railway was led by a group of important people called Chairmen and Directors.
Chairmen
The Chairmen were like the main leaders of the company. Some notable Chairmen included:
- James Pulleine (1854–55)
- Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease (1895–1902)
- Sir Edward Grey (1904–05)
Directors
The Directors were part of the company's main board. Many important business people and politicians served as directors. For example, Sir Lowthian Bell, a famous ironmaker, was a director for many years. His son, Sir Hugh Bell, was also a director and even had a private train platform at his house!
Sir Edward Grey became a director in 1898 and later the Chairman. He even said that his time as Chairman was "one of the happiest of my life." After leaving a government job, he returned to the NER and later became a director of the new London and North Eastern Railway.
Senior Managers
The railway also had many senior officers who managed its daily operations.
General Managers
These individuals were in charge of the overall running of the railway.
- Thomas Elliott Harrison (1854)
- Henry Tennant (1871–1891)
- George Gibb (1891–1905)
- Alexander Kaye Butterworth (1906–1921)
Electric Trains
The North Eastern Railway was one of the first major railway companies in Britain to use electric trains.
Electric Lines in Tyneside
The NER started running electric trains in the Tyneside area on March 29, 1904. This system, known as Tyneside Electrics, covered about 30 miles of track.
- It connected Newcastle Central to places like Wallsend, Whitley Bay, and Gosforth.
- There was also an electric line for freight trains called the Newcastle Quayside Branch, which opened in 1905.
These lines used a "third rail" system for power, where electricity was supplied through an extra rail next to the tracks. In some areas, like the Quayside Branch, overhead wires were used for safety.
Newport-Shildon Electric Line
Between 1914 and 1916, the Newport-Shildon line was also electrified. This line used overhead wires to power the trains. Special electric freight locomotives, like the ones that later became British Rail Class EF1, were used here.
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Plans for Main Line Electrification
After the success of its first electric lines, the NER planned to electrify 80 miles of the East Coast Main Line between York and Newcastle. They even built a prototype passenger locomotive for this project. However, due to financial problems after the First World War, these plans were never fully completed.
What the NER Carried
The North Eastern Railway carried more minerals and coal than any other major railway in Britain. This was a huge part of its business. The company also worked with other railways, like the North British Railway and the Great Northern Railway, to run the East Coast Joint Stock passenger services.
Signalling Systems
In its early days, the NER's signalling was quite basic. But after some accidents and public demand, the company started to use more advanced systems.
The NER began using the "block system," which divides the railway into sections, allowing only one train in a section at a time. They also started "interlocking" signals and points, meaning signals couldn't show a clear path if the points were set incorrectly. This made the railway much safer.
By the time the NER joined with other companies in 1923, it had one of the most modern signalling systems in the country. However, some older types of signals, like "slotted-post semaphore signals" and "rotating board signals," were still in use.
Docks Owned by the NER
The North Eastern Railway owned several important docks, which helped it transport goods by both rail and sea.
- The Hull Docks Company (acquired in 1893): These docks handled many different types of goods, including coal, grain, and timber. The King George Dock, opened in 1914, was jointly operated with another railway.
- Hartlepool Docks (acquired in 1865): These were important for importing timber and exporting coal.
- Tyne Dock (opened by the NER in 1859): This was a major hub for exporting coal and chemicals, and importing iron ore.
- Middlesbrough Dock (opened in 1842): This dock was used for exporting iron and steel, and for worldwide trade.
The NER also owned special coal-shipping areas called "staithes" at Blyth and Dunston-on-Tyne. The company also had steamships that ran between Hull and cities in Europe.
Locomotives and Coaches
The NER had a wide variety of locomotives (train engines) and coaching stock (passenger carriages).
You can find a full list of NER locomotives at Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway.
The NER started with short, four or six-wheeled coaches. Later, they developed longer, more modern coaches with bogies (swiveling wheel sets) for smoother rides. By 1894, they were building 52-foot-long coaches for general use.
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The company also introduced special corridor dining trains for long-distance journeys between London and Edinburgh. These trains had eight coaches and could seat many passengers. All NER coaches were built at their York Carriage Works.
The NER's coaches were painted a deep crimson color, with cream and vermillion lines. The company's name and details were written in a special 3D-looking font. The NER was unique because it had enough modern bogie coaches for its regular services, using older six-wheel coaches only for extra trains or special trips.
Images for kids
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1920 map of the railway
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North Eastern Railway Heraldic Device
