Royal Commission on Railway Gauges

The United Kingdom Royal Commission on Railway Gauges was held in 1845 to choose between the broad gauge of the Great Western Railway and its associated companies and the so-called narrow gauge (now known as standard gauge) of  that had been installed in most of the rest of the country. The situation in Ireland, where there were three gauges, was also considered.

Following the Royal Commission, the Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846    was passed, which mandated all new railways to be constructed to  in England, Scotland and Wales, and  in Ireland. The Great Western Railway was allowed to continue with its broad gauge.

Narrow gauges
Unlike Italy and France, which regulated the choice of narrow gauges, Britain did not, resulting in a large number of alternatives, including:


 * – earliest use 1836
 * – 1879
 * – 1859
 * – 1884
 * – 1873
 * – 1863
 * several other rarely used gauges.