| 1840 | The London & South Western Railway completes its railway
line from London to Southampton |
| 1843 | The London & South Western starts operating ship services
under the name `New South Western Steam Navigation Company` |
| 1847 | The London, Brighton and & South Coast Railway Company
starts operating cross-channel passenger steamer sailings between
Newhaven and Littlehampton (Sussex) and Dieppe. Later sailings also
operated to and from Southampton |
| 1863 | L&SWR takes over the New South Western`s vessels |
| 1864 | The London, Chatham & Dover Railway starts sailings between
Dover and Calais |
| 1892 | L&SWR buys Southampton Docks |
| 1899 | The South Eastern & Chatham Railway Company is formed by
the merger of the the London, Dover & Chatham Railway and the
South Eastern Railway. |
| 1923 | The London & South Western, London Brighton & South
Coast and South Eastern & Chatham Railway Companies merge to
form the Southern Railway. The new company operates trains and
ships across the south east of England |
| 1939 | At the start of World War I, the UK Government takes over the
operation of the railways and their ships |
| 1948 | The British Transport Commission is formed, taking state
control of the railways, their ship operations as well as dock and
road haulage operations |
| 1962 | British Rail is formed from the railway division of the British
Transport Commission, including the shipping routes |
| 1979 | British Rail`s ship operations are sold to Stena and Sealink
UK |
