At the grouping
NBR Atlantic No 874 ‘Dunedin’ with a train in Princes Street Gardens
On 1 January 1923, all UK railway Companies were grouped into one of four main privately owned enterprises, set up by the Government to run Britain’s railways in the aftermath of the First World War. These were:
- The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER);
- The London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS);
- The Great Western Railway (GWR);
- The Southern Railway (SR).
The North British Railway became part of the LNER and at the time of the Grouping it continued to be the largest of the Scottish railways, with 1,378 route miles of track, 1,075 locomotives, 3,576 carriages, 58,970 wagons and 29,518 staff.
The chairman of the North British Railway at the time of the Grouping was William Whitelaw, who became the first Chairman of the LNER.