Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It amalgamated with several other railways to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at grouping in 1923.
The Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras station, the London terminus of the Midland Railway | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Derby |
| Locale | England and Wales |
| Dates of operation | 10 May 1844–31 December 1922 |
| Predecessor | Midland Counties Rly, North Midland Rly, Birmingham and Derby Junction Rly |
| Successor | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 2,170 miles 22 chains (3,492.7 km) (1919) |
| Track length | 6,625 miles 48 chains (10,662.9 km) (1919) |
The Midland had a large network of lines emanating from Derby, stretching to London St Pancras, Manchester, Carlisle, Birmingham, and the South West. It expanded as much through acquisitions as by building its own lines. It also operated ships from Heysham in Lancashire to Douglas and Belfast. A large amount of the Midland's infrastructure remains in use and visible, such as the Midland Main Line and the Settle–Carlisle line, and some of its railway hotels still bear the name Midland Hotel.