120 Years of Innovation

Swindon Railway Works opened in 1843 and until 1960 it was maintaining, repairing and producing steam locomotives for the Great Western Railway. During its peak in the 1930’s it was producing three new locomotives a week and employed over 12,000 people, playing a major role in local economy and employment.

During its time in operation, the Railway Works was surrounded by considerable change. Increased government control over the network, particularly during World War I, and a reduction in profits, led to growing calls for the railway to be nationalised.

These calls continued into the 1940’s when the industry faced two further challenges. The battles during World War II took up lots of the network’s resources, and during this same time, road transport was growing in popularity. This made the railway even harder for private companies to sustain profitably, and in 1948 the entire network became nationalised, under the sole control of government.