Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway was an early British railway company which was incorporated by Act of Parliament
23rd July 1858. to build a railway line connecting the existing London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) terminus in Battersea
to a new terminal at London Victoria station in Westminster
. This involved constructing the Grosvenor Bridge
over the river Thames. The company later leased its lines and stations to the LB&SCR and the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) but continued in existence until December 1922 when it was briefly amalgamated with the South Eastern Railway, UK as a result of the Railways Act 1921
, which created the Big Four (British railway companies) on 1 January 1923.
terminus for the LB&SCR and three British railways which already had access to, or were planning to use the misnamed ’Pimlico’
station of the LB&SCR, (which was actually sited in Battersea
). These were the Great Western Railway
(GWR), the London and North Western Railway
(L&NWR), and the East Kent Railway
, which would soon afterwards become the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR). The new company had an authorised capital of £1 million 45% of which was subscribed by LB&SCR. It was empowered to make agreements with the LC&DR and GWR, for these two companies to pay an agreed rent in perpetuity. The Brighton Company was to have custody and regulation of the line
A further bill of 1859 enabled the widening of the proposed lines and for the L&NWR and GWR to subscribe £100,000 each, towards the cost of construction.
on 1 October 1860. and leased to the LB&SCR which company had also promoted a bill enabling it to amalgamate with the VS&PR. However this was opposed by the GWR and LC&DR and rejected by Parliament. An agreement was made to widen the lines and bridges to separate the two main users, which was completed in 1862/3. The LC&DR and GWR station at Victoria (which also provided running powers for the L&NWR)] was opened 25 August 1862
, prior to the creation of the Southern Railway (Great Britain)
on 1 January 1923.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
23rd July 1858. to build a railway line connecting the existing London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) terminus in Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
to a new terminal at London Victoria station in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. This involved constructing the Grosvenor Bridge
Grosvenor Bridge
Grosvenor Bridge, often alternatively called Victoria Railway Bridge, is a railway bridge over the River Thames in London, between Vauxhall Bridge and Chelsea Bridge. It actually consists of two bridges, both built in the mid-19th century...
over the river Thames. The company later leased its lines and stations to the LB&SCR and the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) but continued in existence until December 1922 when it was briefly amalgamated with the South Eastern Railway, UK as a result of the Railways Act 1921
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, which created the Big Four (British railway companies) on 1 January 1923.
Origins
The railway was originally created to provide a West End of LondonWest End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
terminus for the LB&SCR and three British railways which already had access to, or were planning to use the misnamed ’Pimlico’
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
station of the LB&SCR, (which was actually sited in Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
). These were the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR), the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(L&NWR), and the East Kent Railway
East Kent Railway
The East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...
, which would soon afterwards become the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR). The new company had an authorised capital of £1 million 45% of which was subscribed by LB&SCR. It was empowered to make agreements with the LC&DR and GWR, for these two companies to pay an agreed rent in perpetuity. The Brighton Company was to have custody and regulation of the line
A further bill of 1859 enabled the widening of the proposed lines and for the L&NWR and GWR to subscribe £100,000 each, towards the cost of construction.
Completion
The line was completed and the LB&SCR side of Victoria station opened in the basin of the Grosvenor CanalGrosvenor Canal
Grosvenor Canal was a canal in the Pimlico area of London, opened in 1825. Almost nothing of it remains today.The canal started as the ponds of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, constructed in 1723 to supply west London with drinking water...
on 1 October 1860. and leased to the LB&SCR which company had also promoted a bill enabling it to amalgamate with the VS&PR. However this was opposed by the GWR and LC&DR and rejected by Parliament. An agreement was made to widen the lines and bridges to separate the two main users, which was completed in 1862/3. The LC&DR and GWR station at Victoria (which also provided running powers for the L&NWR)] was opened 25 August 1862
Absorption
The VS&PR continued in existence until 14 December 1922 when it was absorbed by the South Eastern Railway, UK as a result of the Railways Act 1921Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, prior to the creation of the Southern Railway (Great Britain)
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
on 1 January 1923.