"S R" wrote in message
...

The London commuter market was very well developed before BR came into
existence, mainly by the Metropolitan and the Southern Railways.

Were the 'Metropolitan' and 'Southern' private-sector companies? If so,
that's absolutely disgraceful, investing money in the hope of making a
profit at the expense of hard-working families. Investment in such things
should always be left in the hands of HM (that is, The People's) Treasury,
who make a much better fist of it. Look at the generous way they paid
for -sorry, funded - BR's plans in the post-war era.


Assuming you not attempting to be humorous, (but that you really do have a
pitiful lack of knowledge of British railway history) British Railways came
into existence on the 1st January 1948. Prior to that all railways had been
privately established and owned, although with significant government
interference.