Grand Junction Railway

The Grand Junction Railway ( GJR ) was a British railway company that existed from 1833 to 1846. Their route led from Birmingham via Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe in the near Warrington, where following the 1830 opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L & MR) was. The GJR operation from 1838 the world's first mail train, which was the Order while driving.

The Parliament passed the law in 1833 for the construction of the 132 km route. It was designed by George Stephenson and Joseph Locke and put into operation on July 4, 1837. The main engineering workshop was located in Crewe. Shortly after the opening of the endpoint in Birmingham from Duddeston district to Curzon Street Station was moved, where connection was to the London and Birmingham Railway.

1840 took over the Chester and Crewe Railway GJR shortly before its opening. The company drove the development of the North Union Railway (ONLY ) towards Preston ahead and was also involved in the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and the Caledonian Railway. 1845 merged the GJR with the L & MR and consolidated its position with the acquisition of the ONLY (together with the Manchester and Leeds Railway).

The GJR was very profitable and could pay dividends of at least 10 percent each year. 1846, the Company entered into the London and North Western Railway. Today the range of GJR forms the central section of the West Coast Main Line.