Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846
Territorial extent | |
---|---|
Dates | |
Royal assent | 18 August 1846 |
Other legislation | |
Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1959 |
Status: Repealed | |
Text of statute as originally enacted |
The Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846
The act
The act stipulated that:
...after the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful (except as herein-after excepted) to construct any Railway for the Conveyance of Passengers on any Gauge other than Four Foot Eight Inches and Half an Inch in Great Britain, and Five Feet Three Inches in Ireland...
Furthermore, it also provided that, following the act's passing, it would be illegal to alter a railway gauge that was in use for the conveyance, i.e. transport, of passengers.[2]
Assessment
The act continued legislative approval of the broad-gauge railways constructed by the Great Western Railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and endorsed the construction of several new broad-gauge lines, but restricted them to the south-west of England and to Wales. The act stated that these railways "shall be constructed on the Gauge of Seven Feet".[2][note 2] The resulting isolation of these lines ultimately contributed to the demise of the Great Western Railway broad-gauge system.[citation needed]
Notes
References
- ^ short title was authorised by the Short Titles Act 1896, section 1 and the first schedule. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- ^ a b c Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846 (PDF)
See also
- British Gauge War
- Rail gauge in Ireland
- Standard gauge