Railways Act 1921

Railways Act 1921

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to provide for the reorganisation and further regulation of Railways and the discharge of liabilities arising in connection with the possession of Railways, and otherwise to amend the Law relating to Railways, and to extend the duration of the Rates Advisory Committee.
Citation	11 & 12 Geo. 5. c. 55
Introduced by	Eric Geddes
Territorial extent	Great Britain
Dates
Royal assent	19 August 1921
Commencement	1 January 1923
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Railways Act 1921 (11 & 12 Geo. 5. c. 55),^[1] also known as the Grouping Act, was an act of Parliament enacted by the British government, and was intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, by "grouping" them into four large companies, dubbed the "Big Four". The intention was to reduce inefficient internal competition between railway companies, and retain some of the benefits which the country had derived from a government-controlled railway system during and after the Great War of 1914–1918. The provisions of the act took effect from the start of 1923.