How was the building of Britain's original railways funded?

How was the building of Britain's original railways funded?

Posted by JayMac at 20:15, 6th April 2026

A major study by University College London has shown that the source of much of the money that was invested in the nascent railways in the United Kingdom came from a somewhat shameful source. The profits from, and abolition compensation for, slavery. The UK government provided £20m in compensation to slave owners in the 1830s. Equivalent to £17bn today. The amount of compensation given to slaves for the barbarity they were subjected to? Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Those 1830s millions found there way into investments in railway companies. The (original) GWR alone received £6.5m directly attributed to e slavery compensation and from investors who made profits from slavery.

An excellent summary of this piece of history from Paul Whitewick on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/hY-y_41gl3Q?si=7gftP7zXxU1Z6MZY

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