The rail transport system in Great Britain developed during the 19th century. After the grouping of 1923 by the Railways Act 1921 there were four large British railway companies, each dominating its own geographic area. These were the Great Western Railway (GWR), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the Southern Railway (SR).
London Underground and the Glasgow Subway were independent concerns and there was a small number of independent light railways and industrial railways, but did not contribute significant mileage to the system. Neither were tramways considered part of the system.
During the Second World War (1939 — 1945), the railways were taken into state control. They were heavily damaged by enemy action and were run down aiding the war effort.
The Transport Act 1947 made provision for the nationalisation of the network, as part of a policy of nationalising public services by Clement Attlee's Labour Government. British Railways came into existence from 1 January 1948, under the control of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commission (BTC)
Independent railways were not taken into BR.
The Northern Counties Committee lines owned by the LMS in Northern Ireland were quickly sold to the Stormont Government, becoming part of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1949.
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