There are a number of different research tools available to those wishing to explore Britain's railway history, depending on the area you want to concentrate on.

Genealogical Research

We receive regular requests for information relating to relatives who worked on, or were involved with, the railways. Unfortunately, the nature of our archive is such that, unless your ancestor was unfortunate enough to be a victim of one of the small number of major railway accidents, we will not have the information you require.

There are, however, a number of resources which are more likely to be able to assist with your research. Most railway company records are now deposited at the National Archives, and this would be the sensible place to start any genealogical research.

National Archives
The National Archives, based at Kew, is responsible for looking after the records of central government and the courts of law for England, and making sure everyone can look at them. The collection is one of the largest in the world and spans an unbroken period from the 11th century to the present day.

National Archives of Scotland
The NAS is the main archive for sources on the history of Scotland. The NAS holds records spanning the 12th to the 21st centuries, touching on virtually every aspect of Scottish life. The NAS is the repository for the public and legal records of Scotland but also holds many local and private archives.

Historical Research

For those embarking on non-genealogical railway research, there are a number of resources available in addition to the archive.

British Official Publications Collaborative Reader Information Service
BOPCRIS aims to save researchers wasting valuable research time and effort finding relevant British Official Publications over the period 1688 -1995 by providing a web-based bibliographic database which enables them to search and browse for, and read abstracts of, key documents so they can assess whether they need to see the full document or not.

British Transport Films
Visitors are invited to explore this website and discover the legacy of BTF, which was responsible for capturing the general transport scene at a time of great transition - a priceless legacy of moving and still images that deserves more exposure than it gets today.

British Transport Police
British Transport Police is the national police force for the railways providing a policing service to rail operators, their staff and passengers throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The Force is also responsible for policing the London Underground system, the Docklands Light Railway, the Midland Metro Tram System and Croydon Tramlink.

Google Books

Great Central Today
Documenting the current state of Britains last main line at it enters its second century.

Great Eastern Railway Society
The Society was formed in 1973 in order to promote a widespread interest in the Great Eastern Railway, to encourage and co-ordinate research into its history, and to provide a permanent record of the results. This is being achieved by building upon the knowledge of the known GER experts, and by locating and studying all surviving records of the railway. In so doing, the Society has established a high reputation amongst railway enthusiasts, historians, museums and professional railwaymen for the quality and accuracy of its publications, its expertise and activities.

Historical Model Railway Society
The Society is one of the definitive sources of information on Britain's long and varied railway history, from the very beginning to the present day. It gathers, stores, and widely distributes historical railway information, thereby providing you with all the vital information you need to build historically accurate models. Whether you are a railway modeller, a railway historian or a railway enthusiast you will find plenty to interest you here.

Institute of Railway Studies & Transport History
A joint initiative of the National Railway Museum and the University of York. The Institute offers a wide range of opportunities for learning and research in railway and transport history and cognate fields, including a number of courses and research degrees.

Joyce's World of Transport Eclectica
Joyce's collection of pictures, pre- and post-Beeching maps, diagrams and sketches.

London School of Economics
The LSE Library has a very extensive collection of pamphlets on the early history of the railways. There are over 1,500 pamphlets on railway history, almost half of them on the railways in the UK. Many of these date from the 19th century covering such issues as finance, railway building, safety and publications from the railway companies themselves.

National Archives
The National Archives, based at Kew, is responsible for looking after the records of central government and the courts of law for England, and making sure everyone can look at them. The collection is one of the largest in the world and spans an unbroken period from the 11th century to the present day.

National Archives of Scotland
The NAS is the main archive for sources on the history of Scotland. The NAS holds records spanning the 12th to the 21st centuries, touching on virtually every aspect of Scottish life. The NAS is the repository for the public and legal records of Scotland but also holds many local and private archives.

National Library of Scotland
The national library of Scotland is an information treasure trove of Scotland’s knowledge, history and culture, with millions of books, manuscripts and maps covering every subject. It is Scotland's legal deposit library, with around 14 million printed items in its collections.

National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales is one of Wales's leading cultural institutions, and its principal source of recorded knowledge. It is unusual, if not unique, among national libraries, in collecting and giving access to recorded knowledge in almost every medium – books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts and archives, maps, paintings, drawings and prints, photographs, sound and moving images, and electronic media.

National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum in York, England is the largest railway museum in the world, responsible for the conservation and interpretation of the British national collection of historically significant railway vehicles and other artefacts. The Museum contains an unrivalled collection of locomotives, rolling stock and railway equipment. Its document archive, "Search Engine", contains a huge number of documents and records.

New Adlestrop Railway Atlas
A historical atlas of Britain's railways, currently in progress. It shows lines and stations currently open, together with those that have closed.

Office of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) was established on 5 July 2004 under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. ORR is an independent statutory body led by a Board. Their key roles are:
- to ensure that Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national railway infrastructure - the track and signalling - manages the network efficiently and in a way that meets the needs of its users;
- to encourage continuous improvement in health and safety performance;
- to secure compliance with relevant health and safety law, including taking enforcement action as necessary;
- to develop policy and enhance relevant railway health and safety legislation; and
- to be responsible for licensing operators of railway assets, setting the terms for access by operators to the network and other railway facilities, and enforcing competition law in the rail sector.

Open University Department of Materials Engineering
The Materials Engineering Department contributes to the development and presentation of a wide variety of courses, predominantly covering the engineering applications of materials and the manipulation of their properties. A number of papers are available covering research into structural failures on the railway.

Parliamentary Archives
The Parliamentary Archives hold several million historical records relating to Parliament, dating from 1497.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is the independent railway accident investigation organisation for the UK. It investigates railway accidents and incidents on the UK's railways to improve safety, not to establish blame.

Railway & Canal Historical Society
The Railway and Canal Historical Society is for everyone with an interest in the history of transport — not just inland waterways and railways, but also tramroads, roads, aviation, coastal shipping, ports and pipelines — from the middle ages (or before) to the day before yesterday.

Railway Studies Library, Newton Abbot
The Collection is housed on the first floor of Newton Abbot Library. Newton Abbot was chosen for the site because of the town's historical significance as a railway centre.

The Collection covers all aspects of railways and contains a wide range of material of interest to railway and social historians, writers, researchers, modellers and people concerned with the contemporary railway scene. Geographical coverage of the Collection is comprehensive for the West Country from the GWR and LSWR periods to the present day. There is substantial coverage of the remainder of the UK railway network. As well as providing information on standard gauge railways, the Collection caters for other key areas of interest such as broad gauge, narrow gauge, industrial lines, miniature, underground and preserved railways.

The Collection contains books, leaflets, pamphlets, timetables, photographs, postcards, slides, drawings, illustrations, maps, railway society literature and periodicals.

Signalling Record Society
The Signalling Record Society exists to maintain and share knowledge of Railway Signalling and Operation in the British Isles and Overseas. The Society possesses much archive material and has expertise which can assist members in their study and research on these topics. It also publishes books, photographs and drawings which may be purchased by members and non-members.

The Sectional Appendix
This website is putting online the complete British Railways Sectional Appendix for 1960. The Sectional Appendicies contain a wealth of information including signal boxes, distances, running lines, speed restrictions, local instructions and much, much more. For the railway historian they offer a unique window into railway operations from years gone by.

The Signal Box
A site all about railway signalling. Its primary purpose is to describe the principles behind railway signalling in Great Britain, but some coverage of signalling around the world will also be found. The emphasis is on the older, mechanical signalling - that worked by mechanical levers and with semaphore signals. Includes descriptions and illustrations of signals, explanations of the rules and regulations, photographs, historic articles, reminiscences, museum and book lists.

Train Testing
Dave Coxon's site, dedicated to his work at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. Includes a wide range of train testing history.

UK Statute Law Database
The UK Statute Law Database (SLD) is the official revised edition of the primary legislation of the United Kingdom made available online.

uk.railway newsgroup
The best Usenet group for UK railways; if you have a specific question or point you want to discuss, there are some very knowledgeable people lurking here.

University of Leicester Library
The library has an unrivalled transport history collection, including accident reports as far back as 1865.

Warwickshire Railways
Warwickshire Railways is created for the railway enthusiast, local historian and railway modeller by fellow enthusiasts. The project is long term with the objective of providing historical information and photos on all stations, sheds and other locations in the county.