Arbroath line to reach Dundee. In 1870 the NBR obtained Parliamentary authorisation to build a bridge across the Tay: the North British Railway (Tay Bridge and Railways) Act. Construction proved difficult, and it was not until 31 May 1878 that the bridge was opened. The Dundee and Perth line approached Dundee at the water's edge, and the entry from the Tay Bridge into Dundee was on reclaimed land on the south side of the D&PR line. The NBR opened a new station near Craig Pier; this was the present day station, located immediately to the south of the D&PR terminus. The NBR line continued eastwards in a cut-and-cover tunnel to connect to the Arbroath line. On 28 December 1879 the bridge fell during an extremely strong storm, taking a train down with it. 74 or 75 persons lost their lives. The NBR set about constructing a new bridge as soon as possible, despite the obvious difficulties, and it opened the new bridge on 20 June 1887. When the first bridge opened, the NBR provided a better route to Edinburgh and London than the existing Caledonian route via Perth, and the Caledonian set about improvements to the goods and passenger accommodation at Dundee. Both were considerably expanded, and the new goods accommodation was ready by 1885. A new locomotive depot was provided at the same time. The new passenger station was opened in 1889: "one of the most beautifully proportioned late Victorian buildings in Britain and a celebration of Scottish Baronial architecture. Grouping and nationalisation Following World War I the government determined that the main line railways of Great Britain should be "grouped" into one of four large companies, and it enacted the Railways Act 1921; the Caledonian Railway was a constituent of the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), which was formed on 1 January 1923 (although formalities were not legally finalised until July in the case of the Caledonian). The train service pattern did not change fundamentally; the LMS continued to run the familiar train service. After World War II, the Government nationalised the railways, so on 1 January 1948 the LMS and the other main line railways passed into state ownership: the Scottish section of the LMS and of the rival LNER became part of British Railways Scottish Region. Still the train service pattern was not radically changed, although diesel multiple units were introduced on local services.