In 1825, the world’s first public railway opened in the North East of England. Railways would go on to transform the way we connect, travel and trade throughout the world.

In the 19th century, the Rothschild family businesses helped lay the foundations of the modern railway networks of many countries in Europe and beyond.

In 1835, Baron Salomon von Rothschild was granted concession to build the first major steam railway in continental Europe, the Kaiser Ferdinand's Nordbahn, which opened in 1839.

In 1845, the contract for France’s Paris-Lille-Valenciennes Line was awarded to Baron James de Rothschild’s Compagnie du Chemin de fer du Nord, which also completed its main track in 1845.

In the early 20th century, our UK business helped raise financing for the ambitious Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, running 4,800km across Canada. In the 1930s, our UK business was part of the issuing syndicate to finance the extension of the London Underground network.