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Railway Companies acquired by the GWR
Note: Where the acquisition of a larger railway company, for example the West Midland Railway,
also includes several smaller companies, the date shown in red
is of the acquisition by that larger company.
| Date of acquisition | Railway Company | Length of line |
| 10 May 1844 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway. | 20¾ miles |
| 10 May 1844 | Oxford Railway | 9¾ miles |
| 14 July 1846 | Berkshire and Hampshire Railway | 22½ miles |
| 22 July 1847 | Great Western and Uxbridge Railway | 5½ miles |
| 31 August 1848 | Birmingham and Oxford Junction Railway | 24¾ miles |
| 14 May 1846 | Oxford and Rugby Railway | Not opened |
| 01 July 1851 | Avon and Gloucestershire Railway | 5¾ miles |
| 01 September 1854 | Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway | 38 miles |
| 01 September 1854 | Shrewsbury and Chester Railway | 41 miles |
| 01 September 1854 | Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway | 4 miles |
| 01 September 1854 | North Wales Mineral Railway | 14¾ miles |
| 29 July 1862 | Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway | 22½ miles |
| 01 August 1863 | Chipping Norton Railway | 4½ miles |
| 01 August 1863 | West Midland Railway | 198¾ |
| 2 July 1847 | Forest of Dean Railway | 7¼ miles |
| 01 January 1846 | Hereford Railway | 13½ miles |
| 03 August 1846 | Llanvihangel Railway | 6¼ miles |
| 01 January 1860 | Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway | 38¼ miles |
| 01 January 1860 | Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway | 89 miles |
| 01 January 1852 | Stratford and Moreton Railway | 16 miles |
| 01 January 1860 | Worcester and Hereford Railway | 29¾ miles |
| 01 August 1863 | South Wales Railway | 164¾ miles |
| 01 January 1866 | Hayle Railway | 12 miles |
| 01 January 1866 | West Cornwall Railway | 29 miles |
| 10 August 1866 | Vale of Neath | 16¼ miles |
| 21 July 1859 | Aberdare Railway | 7½ miles |
| 05 August 1863 | Swansea and Neath Railway | 7 miles |
| 31 January 1867 | Wycombe Railway | 42¼ miles |
| 01 August 1868 | Bristol and South Wales Union Railway | 12½ miles |
| 12 July 1869 | Tenbury and Bewdley Railway | 14 miles |
| 12 July 1869 | Wellington and Drayton Railway | 16¼ miles |
| 31 July 1871 | Stourbridge Railway | 13 miles |
| 01 January 1872 | Great Western and Brentford Railway | 4 miles |
| 18 July 1872 | Severn Valley Railway | 42½ miles |
| 26 July 1869 | Swansea Vale and Neath and Brecon Junction Railway | 7½ miles |
| 25 July 1872 | Wallingford and Watlington Railway | 2¾ miles |
| 28 July 1873 | Briton Ferry Floating Dock and Railway | ½ mile |
| 01 February 1874 | Bourton-on-the-Water Railway | 6½ miles |
| 30 June 1874 | East Somerset Railway | 16¾ miles |
| 30 June 1874 | Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway | 15½ miles |
| 13 July 1876 | Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway | 9¾ miles |
| 01 August 1876 | Bristol and Exeter Railway | 138½ miles |
| 08 June 1863 | Chard and Taunton Railway | 19½ miles |
| 19 June 1865 | Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway | 22½ miles |
| 19 July 1875 | Exe Valley Railway | 7½ miles |
| 01 August 1876 | Bristol Harbour Railway | 1 mile |
| 23 July 1877 | Bala and Dolgelly Railway | 22½ miles |
| 01 August 1878 | South Devon Railway | 35½ miles |
| 01 July 1865 | South Devon and Tavistock Railway | 13 miles |
| 01 August 1866 | Dartmouth and Torbay Railway | 7 miles |
| 18 July 1872 | Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway | 12 miles |
| 24 June 1869 | Launceston and South Devon Railway | 19 miles |
| 01 August 1880 | Monmouthshire Railway and Canal | 9½ miles |
| 06 August 1880 | Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway | 3¾ miles |
| 06 August 1880 | Malmesbury Railway | 6½ miles |
| 06 August 1880 | Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean Junction Railway | 3¼ miles |
| 22 August 1881 | Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway | 20 miles |
| 22 August 1881 | Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway | 25 miles |
| 19 May 1882 | Torbay and Brixham Railway | 2 miles |
| 10 August 1882 | Swindon and Highworth Railway | 1¼ miles |
| 10 August 1882 | Berkshire and Hampshire Extension Railway | 24½ miles |
| 01 July 1883 | Llynfi and Ogmore Railway | 38¾ miles |
| 05 July 1865 | Ely Valley Extension Railway | 34 miles |
| 10 August 1861 | Bridgend Railway | 4½ miles |
| 01 July 1876 | Cardiff and Ogmore Railway | 8¼ miles |
| 28 June 1866 | Ogmore Valley Railways | 10 miles |
| 01 July 1883 | Alcester Railway | 6½ miles |
| 01 July 1883 | Stratford-upon-Avon Railway | 9 miles |
| 20 August 1883 | Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway | 8¾ miles |
| 01 July 1884 | Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway | 10 miles |
| 07 August 1884 | Bristol and North Somerset Railway | 20 miles |
| 07 August 1884 | Coleford Railway | 5¼ miles |
| 25 June 1886 | Faringdon Railway | 4 miles |
| 01 July 1888 | Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster Railway | 14¾ miles |
| 01 July 1888 | Leominster and Bromyard Railway | 12 miles |
| 13 August 1888 | Kingsbridge and Salcombe Railway | Not opened |
| 24 June 1889 | Cornwall Railway | 72 miles |
| 24 June 1889 | Llanelly Railway and Dock | 60 miles |
| 04 August 1890 | Whitland and Cardigan Railway | 25 miles |
| 04 August 1890 | Witney Railway | 25½ miles |
| 01 September 1890 | East Gloucestershire Railway | 14 miles |
| 28 June 1892 | East Usk Railway | 4 miles |
| 01 July 1892 | Calne Railway | 5¼ miles |
| 01 July 1892 | Newent Railway | 12¾ miles |
| 01 July 1892 | Ross and Ledbury Railway | 4¾ miles |
| 01 July 1892 | Wellington and Severn Junction Railway | 11½ miles |
| 01 July 1894 | Tiverton and North Devon Railway | 8 miles |
| 31 July 1894 | Oldbury Railway | 3½ miles |
| 12 February 1896 | North Pembroke and Fishguard Railway | 14¾ miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Abbotsbury Railway | 6½ miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Corwen and Bala Railway | 18 miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Llangollen and Corwen Railway | 9 miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Marlborough Railway | 5½ miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Milford Railway | 4 miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Vale of Llangollen Railway | 15 miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Wenlock Railway | 14 miles |
| 01 July 1897 | Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway | 33 miles |
| 01 July 1897 | Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway | 9½ miles |
| 01 July 1897 | Kington and Eardisley Railway | 13½ miles |
| 01 July 1897 | Nantwich and Market Drayton Railway | 10¾ miles |
| 06 August 1897 | Great Marlow Railway | 2¾ miles |
| 06 August 1897 | Minehead Railway | 8 miles |
| 06 August 1897 | Pembroke and Tenby Railway | 28 miles |
| 06 August 1897 | Woodstock Railway | 2½ miles |
| 02 August 1898 | Helston Railway | 8 miles |
| 02 August 1898 | Leominster and Kington Railway | 13¼ miles |
| 01 August 1899 | Golden Valley Railway | 18¾ miles |
| 01 July 1900 | Birmingham and Henley-in-Arden Railway | 3 miles |
| 30 July 1900 | Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Stratford-upon-Avon Railway | 18 miles |
| 26 July 1901 | Bridport Railway | 9¼ miles |
| 26 July 1901 | Devon and Somerset Railway | 42¼ miles |
| 11 August 1903 | Ely Valley Railway | 24 miles |
| 15 August 1904 | Abingdon Railway | 2¾ miles |
| 04 August 1905 | Lambourn Valley Light Railway | 12 miles |
| 04 August 1905 | Wye Valley Railway | 15½ miles |
| 26 July 1910 | Bala and Festiniog Railway | 22 miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Cardiff Railway | 6½ miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway | 12 miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Neath and Brecon Railway | 23 miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Princetown Railway | 10½ miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway | 38¾ miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Rhymney Railway | 28 miles |
| 01 January 1922 | Ross and Monmouth Railway | 10¼ miles |
| 01 July 1922 | Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway | 26½ miles |
| 28 July 1863 | Rumney Tramroad | 21¾ miles |
| 01 July 1922 | Burry Port and Gwendreath Valley Railway | 21 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Barry Railway | 68 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Cambrian Railways | 228¼ miles |
| 05 August 1866 | Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway | 75 miles |
| 25 July 1864 | Llanidloes and Newtown Railway | 14 miles |
| 24 June 1904 | Mid-Wales Railway | 46¾ miles |
| 25 July 1864 | Newtown and Machynlleth Railway | 22¾ miles |
| 25 July 1864 | Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway | 12¾ miles |
| 25 July 1864 | Oswestry and Newtown Railway | 33¼ miles |
| 06 August 1897 | Vale of Rheidol Light Railway | 11¾ miles |
| 01 August 1896 | Van Railway | 6½ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway | 45 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Exeter Railway | 12 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Forest of Dean Central Railway | 4¾ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Gwendraeth Valleys Railway | 3 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway | 12 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Liskeard and Looe Railway | 10½ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway | 12 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Mawddwy Railway | 6¾ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Midland and South Western Junction Railway | 58¾ miles |
| 01 August 1899 | Marlborough and Grafton Railway | 8¼ miles |
| 23 June 1884 | Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway | 26¼ miles |
| 23 June 1884 | Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway | 32½ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Penarth Extension Railway | 1 mile |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway | 11 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Port Talbot Railway and Docks | 58½ miles |
| 07 August 1896 | Cefn and Pyle Railway | 6½ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
South Wales Mineral Railway | 11¼ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Taff Vale Railway | 124½ miles |
| 31 July 1902 | Aberdare Railway | 7½ miles |
| 26 August 1889 | Cowbridge Railway | 10 miles |
| 17 August 1894 | Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway | 6½ miles |
| 26 August 1889 | Dare Valley Railway | 3½ miles |
| 26 August 1889 | Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway | 7 miles |
| 26 August 1889 | Rhondda Valley and Hirwain Junction Railway | 3¼ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Vale of Glamorgan Railway | 21 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway | 9 miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
West Somerset Railway | 13¼ miles |
| GROUPING - 01 January 1923 |
Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway | 12¾ miles |
Copyright © by John Daniel 2013.