The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right on completion of the "Organising for Quality" initiative on 6 April 1992. The Region consisted principally of ex-Great Western Railway lines, minus certain lines west of Birmingham, which were transferred to the London Midland Region in 1963 and with the addition of all former Southern Railway routes west of Exeter, which were subsequently rationalised. History When British Railways was created at the start of 1948, it was immediately subdivided into six Regions, largely based upon pre-nationalisation ownership. The Western Region initially consisted of the former Great Western Railway system, totalling 3,782 route miles and with its headquarters at Paddington. To this was added some minor railways and joint lines in which the GWR had an interest: Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Clifton Extension Railway Easton and Church Hope Railway Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway – including the Banbury Junction Railway between Banbury and Culworth Junction Halesowen Railway Rhymney Joint Railway Severn and Wye and Severn Bridge Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Wellington Joint Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Tenbury Railway Vale of Towy Railway West Cornwall Railway West London Railway West London Extension Railway Weymouth and Portland Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway Regional boundaries were adjusted several times in subsequent years. The first such adjustments took place on 2 April 1950, under which the WR gained Banbury Merton Street station from the London Midland Region Bicester to Oxford from the London Midland Region Broom to Byfield (excluding Byfield station) from the London Midland Region Cole to Bath, Bridgwater, Burnham and Wells from the Southern Region Exeter to Bude, Ilfracombe, Padstow, Plymouth and branches from the Southern Region Hadley Junction to Coalport from the London Midland Region Leamington Spa Avenue station from the London Midland Region Marylebone to Northolt Junction from the Eastern Region Neasden to Harrow (excluding Harrow station) from the Eastern Region Selly Oak to Bath and Bristol, and all branches from that route from the London Midland Region Warwick Milverton station from the London Midland Region At the same time, the WR lost several lines: Crudgington to Nantwich to the London Midland Region Grafton & Burbage to Andover Junction to the Southern Region Newbury to Winchester to the Southern Region Reading West to Basingstoke to the Southern