Chester and Crewe Railway
| Company type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Fate | Merged into Grand Junction Railway in 1840 |
| Successor | Grand Junction Railway |
Key people | Robert Stephenson (engineer), Thomas Brassey (contractor) |
| Products | Railway construction (Chester to Crewe segment) |
The Chester and Crewe Railway represented one of the initial railway enterprises in Britain, receiving legal approval in 1837 under the Chester and Crewe Railway Act 1837 (7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. lxiii).
In 1840, it was incorporated into the Grand Junction Railway as per the provisions of the Chester and Crewe Railway Act 1840 (3 & 4 Vict. c. xlix). This company was responsible for building the Chester to Crewe segment of the North Wales Coast line, covering . The engineering oversight was provided by Robert Stephenson, while construction was managed by contractor Thomas Brassey. Following this merger, the Grand Junction Railway chose Crewe as the site for its locomotive manufacturing facility, which played a pivotal role in transforming Crewe into a significant railway town.