Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In the 1830s more than 20 000 navvies began work on one of the great engineering works of the early Victorian age - the construction of the 112 miles (180 kilometres) London to Birmingham Railway.
This feat changed railway history. It was the first intercity line to enter the capital, dramatically cutting through the streets, blasting through hills, and bridging rivers. It also saw the development of two imposing termini - Euston and Curzon Street - which established the style of stations around the world for more than a century.
In the 1830s more than 20 000 navvies began work on one of the great engineering works of the early Victorian age - the construction of the 112 miles (180 kilometres) London to Birmingham Railway.
This feat changed railway history. It was the first intercity line to enter the capital, dramatically cutting through the streets, blasting through hills, and bridging rivers. It also saw the development of two imposing termini - Euston and Curzon Street - which established the style of stations around the world for more than a century.
