Britain's Gauge Act of 1846 established a standard track width for new railways after competing companies had built lines using incompatible gauges, which forced costly transfers of goods between trains. Standardizing gauge allowed wagons and eventually whole trains to travel across different companies' lines without unloading cargo. Similar standardization efforts followed in continental Europe and North America over subsequent decades, though some countries deliberately kept different gauges for strategic reasons. Common gauges made long-distance rail freight far more efficient for inland trade.
Relevance to Trade History
Removed a major technical barrier to efficient long-distance rail freight, supporting the growth of integrated inland trade networks.
Read the full story in our article Railroads and the Expansion of Inland Trade.
Source: National Railway Museum, York. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.