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 "Station, Grand Junction Railway, Vauxhall, Birmingham". Engraving by H. Harris, 1841. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe |
| Dates of operation | 4 July 1837–1846 |
| Predecessor | Warrington and Newton Railway |
| Successor | London and North Western Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 82 miles (132 km) |
The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846. The line built by the company, which opened in 1837, linked the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham via Warrington, Crewe, Stafford and Wolverhampton. This was the first trunk railway to be completed in England, and arguably the world's first long-distance railway with steam traction.[i] It terminated at Curzon Street Station in Birmingham, which it shared with the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR), whose adjacent platforms gave an interchange with full connectivity (with through carriages) between Liverpool, Manchester and London.
The company merged with its business partners in 1846 to form the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). The lines which comprised the GJR now form the central section of the West Coast Main Line.
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