Catalogue description Widnes Railway Company

Board of Trade Provisional Certificate was issued in 1873, under authority of Railways Construction Facilities Act 1864 and Railways (Powers & Construction) Acts 1864 Amendment Act 1870, and was confirmed by Railways Provisional Certificate Confirmation Act 7th July 1873 to which it is scheduled. Certificate authorised incorporation of Company.

Section 30 of Certificate authorised appointment of Joint Committee to carry out any working and traffic arrangements with Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Company and/or Cheshire Lines Committee incorporated by Cheshire Lines Act of 1867, such Joint Committee to consist of "such members of Widness Railway Company, Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company, and Cheshire Lines Committee as may be thought proper".

Under Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Act 1874 undertaking was transferred to and vested in Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Company.

By virtue of Sheffield and Midland railway companies' Committee Act 29th June 1875, Midland Railway Company were made joint owners of Widnes undertaking under terms of Section 16 and following Sections of act, and certain new railways were authorised to be made and to form part of Widnes undertaking. Under Section 19 of act, whole Widnes undertaking was to form part of undertaking of Sheffield and Midland railway companies Committee, appointed under Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire and Midland railway companies' (Joint Lines) Act 24th June 1869, and which became incorporated under Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Act of 6th August 1872. Committee was subsequently called Great Central and Midland Joint Committee when Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Company changed its name to Great Central Railway Company in 1897 and this committee was vested in British Transport Commission under the Transport Act 1947.