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The Necropolis Railway

Railways brought forth all sorts of social change and innovation, in much the same way that the internet has over the last 25 years.

One such act of entrepeneurship in London saw the creation of the London Necropolis Company, which transported the deceased and their funeral cortege from London to a Brookwood cemetery, some 23 miles south west of London, by train. Primarily using the railway lines of other companies, they did have their own connections at both London and Brookwood.

Continuing in operation until 1941, the company’s former station building at 121 Westminster Bridge Road, London, remains in alternative use. This is the second London station of the company, coming into use in 1902.

The original station was nearby and removed to make way for expansion of the adjacent railway mainline, the Necropolis Railway Company making the London & South Western Railway pay heavily for their relocation.

London Necropolis Company
Railway Station
London Necropolis Company – Railway Station. Copyright Ewan Duffy 2024.