Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway
| Dates of operation | 1845–1847 |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Grimsby Docks Company |
| Successor | Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Headquarters | Grimsby, England |
The Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway was an early British railway company which existed between 1845 and 1847 with the intention of providing rail services between Grimsby, New Holland and Gainsborough in the county of Lincolnshire. It amalgamated with the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway and the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway, the three being renamed the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in 1847.
As a company, it was the oldest of the three, having begun in 1796 as the Grimsby Haven Company, when the harbour was enlarged. When new fishing grounds were discovered on the Dogger Bank trade increased and in 1845 the Grimsby Haven became part of the Grimsby Docks Company. Five of its directors were also on the board of the proposed Great Grimsby & Sheffield Junction Railway, intended to connect with the proposed Sheffield and Lincolnshire line. The decision was taken to amalgamate the two undertakings.
Both the SA&MR and the S&LJR were well represented on the board and it was the latter's engineer who had carried out the survey in 1844. He offered three alternatives, via Brigg, via Caistor or via Market Rasen. Of the three, the first was chosen, with a branch from Brigg to Market Rasen. The line received the Royal Assent at the same time as the Grimsby Docks Company was approved in 1845. The ferries on the Humber were also purchased and a branch would be built to New Holland. In 1846 permission was gained for line from Market Rasen to Lincoln.
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