PRIOR to the First World War, Britain’s railways had been built, maintained and operated by more than a hundred different companies. But during the war, the Government took control under the provisions of the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871. A railway executive committee, set up on behalf of the Government, then ran the railways until 1921.
Following the end of the war in 1918, the problem with having so many (often competing) companies became clear. There were debates in the House of Commons about the future of the railways, and whether nationalisation or re-Privatisation was best the option.
In 1920, Sir Eric Geddes – the UK’s first minister of state for transport – published a white paper entitled ‘Outline of Proposals as to the Future Organisation of Transport Undertakings in Great Britain and their Relation to the State’. This proposed creating a group of five companies to serve England and Wales and one for Scotland.
After some debate, a Railways Bill suggested four regional groups for England and two for Scotland, which was revised again to four groups covering England and Scotland after concern about separating Scottish railways. This became the Railways Act 1921 (sometimes known as the Grouping Act), which received royal assent on August 19, 1921 to take effect in
