The Royal Naval Train "Jellicoe Express"

The Royal Naval Train "Jellicoe Express". . On 15th February 1917 the Royal Navy began a special daily railway service between Euston and Thurso, to transport service personnel and mail to and from Scapa Flow, Orkney, and other Naval bases up and down the country., From 21st May the direct Carlisle to Perth route was altered using instead the Waverley line via Edinburgh and Inverkeithing to accommodate service personnel at Rosyth., This train only operated during both World Wars., It was commonly known as the Jellicoe Express after Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. (31st May - 1st June 1916), The journey took around 21.5 hours north and 22 hours 20 minutes south, stopping at several stations en route. At no other time has there been a railway service running from one end of the country to the other. It was very rarely late., In wartime the railways were technically controlled by the government but run on their behalf by the local regional railway companies. The Jellicoe Express was no exception and several companies ran the train between Euston and Thurso., The route was: Euston, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Galashiels/Hawick, Edinburgh Waverley, Inverkeithing, Perth, Kingussie, Aviemore, Inverness, Alness, Invergordon, Helmsdale, Forsinard and Thurso., There has been a railway station on this site since 1838, one of several operated by different railway companies in Preston, before the main station we know today opened in 1880. From 1900 this station was used by several companies, the largest of these was the London and North Western Railway Company, founded in 1846 by the amalgamation of the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. It was one of the largest railway companies in Britain with its headquarters at Euston., The London and North Western Railway was one of the companies that hauled the Royal Naval Train, "the Jellicoe Express," in the First World War. It covered the greatest distance, from Euston to Carlisle, 301 miles., In 1923 it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as a result of the 1921 Railways Act which reduced over one hundred into four main railway companies.