Samuel Morton Peto - Railway Works

Railway Works

In 1834 Peto saw the potential of the newly developing railways and dissolved the connection with his uncle's building firm. He and his cousin Grissell founded a business as an independent railway contractor. His firm's first railway work was to build two stations in Curzon Street, Birmingham. Next the firm built its first line of track, the Hanwell and Langley section of the Great Western Railway, which included the Wharncliffe Viaduct.

Grissell became increasingly nervous of the risks taken by Peto, and in 1846 dissolved the partnership.

Peto then entered into partnership with Edward Betts, who had married his sister Ann. Between 1846 and 1855 the firm carried out many large railway contracts both at home and abroad, including:

• the South-Eastern Line; and
• the London, Chatham & Dover lines.

In partnership with Thomas Brassey they built the following:

• the London, Tilbury & Southend line; and
• the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada.

In the late 1850s Peto and Betts helped to build the first railway in Algeria. Peto accompanied Napoleon III of France to the official opening of the line.

In 1854 during the Crimean War Peto, Betts and Brassey constructed the Grand Crimean Central Railway between Balaklava and Sevastopol to transport supplies to the troops at the front line.

In February 1855 the British government recognized Peto for his wartime services; he was made a Baronet, of Somerleyton Hall in the County of Suffolk.

King Frederick of Denmark honoured Peto for establishing the Flensburg–Husum–Tönning Railway Company and its construction of railways in the Duchy of Schleswig, which led to a growing export/import trade with the Port of Lowestoft.