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The Great Northern Railway (GNR; initially called the London and York Railway) was founded by The Great Northern Railway Act on 26th June 1846. The main line ran from London via Hitchin, Peterborough, and Grantham, to York Railway Station, with a loop line from Peterborough to Bawtry via Boston and Lincoln, and branch lines to Sheffield and Wakefield. The contract for the first 75.5 miles of the line was awarded to Thomas Brassey who worked with J. Cubitt as the engineer. They started with the Peterborough to Gainsborough section of the loop line, as the ease of construction over the flat fens promised an earlier return on investment. In 1848 On the 17 October, the 58 miles of loop line opened between Werrington Junction (just north of Peterborough) and Lincoln, with GNR trains using the Midland line from Werrington Junction to Peterborough. The line from Lincoln to Gainsborough didn’t open until 9 April 1849. In January 1923, the GNR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway Company (LNER).