| Railroad Name: | Preston and Wigan Railway |
| Locale: | Lancashire |
| Start Year: | 22 April 1831 |
| End Year: | 22 May 1834 |
The Preston and Wigan Railway would have been an early British railway company operating in Lancashire.
| Short Title: | Preston and Wigan Railway Act 1831 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Long Title: | An Act for making and maintaining a Railway from the Borough of Wigan to the Borough of Preston, both in the County Palatine of Lancaster, and collateral Branches to communicate therewith. |
| Year: | 1831 |
| Citation: | 1 Will. 4. c. lvi |
| Repealing Legislation: | Preston and Wigan Railway Act 1834 |
| Status: | repealed |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Will4/1/56/pdfs/ukla_18310056_en.pdf |
| Collapsed: | yes |
The Preston and Wigan Railway obtained an act of Parliament, the (1 Will. 4. c. lvi) on 22 April 1831 to build a 15miles line between and .
| Short Title: | Preston and Wigan Railway Act 1834 |
| Type: | Act |
| Parliament: | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Year: | 1834 |
| Citation: | 4 & 5 Will. 4. c. xxv |
| Collapsed: | yes |
On 8 August 1833 the board decided that it would be to their advantage to amalgamate with the Wigan Branch Railway, the directors of the Wigan Branch Railway met shortly thereafter and agreed with them. The (4 & 5 Will. 4. c. xxv) was approved and gained royal assent on 22 May 1834 incorporating the two railways as the North Union Railway. It was the first-ever amalgamation of railway companies.
The line was formally opened by the North Union Railway on 21 October 1838 and to the public on 31 October.