Ownership Forth Bridge

a 1913 railway clearing house junction diagram showing forth bridge railway (red) , neighbouring lines of north british railway (blue)

before opening of bridge, north british railway (nbr) had lines on both sides of firth of forth between trains not pass except running @ least far west alloa , using lines of rival company. alternative route between edinburgh , fife involved ferry @ queensferry, purchased nbr in 1867. accordingly, nbr sponsored forth bridge project give them direct link independent of caledonian railway. conference @ york in 1881 set forth bridge railway committee, nbr contributed 35% of cost. remaining money came 3 english railways, ran trains london on nbr tracks. midland railway, connected nbr @ carlisle , owned route london (st pancras), contributed 30% , remainder came equally north eastern railway , great northern railway, between them owned route between berwick-upon-tweed , london (king s cross), via doncaster. body undertook construct , maintain bridge.

in 1882 nbr given powers purchase bridge, never exercised. @ time of 1923 grouping, bridge still jointly owned same 4 railways, , became jointly owned these companies successors, london midland , scottish railway (30%) , london , north eastern railway (70%). forth bridge railway company named in transport act 1947 1 of bodies nationalised , became part of british railways on 1 january 1948. under act, forth bridge shareholders receive £109 of british transport stock each £100 of forth bridge debenture stock; , £104-17-6d (£104.87½) of british transport stock each £100 of forth bridge ordinary stock.

as of april 2017, bridge , associated railway infrastructure owned network rail infrastructure limited.