baɪ ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z, ðə ɹˈeɪlweɪz ɪn ˈiːst ˈæŋɡliə wɜːɹ ɪn faɪnˈænʃəl tɹˈʌbəl ænd mˈoʊst wɜː lˈiːst tə ðɪ ˌiːsˌiːˈɑːɹ; ðeɪ wˈɪʃt tʊ ɐmˈælɡɐmˌeɪt fˈɔːɹməli, bˌʌt kʊd nˌɑːt əbtˈeɪn ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ɐɡɹˈiːmənt fɔːɹ ðɪs ʌntˈɪl wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː, wˌɛn ðə ɡɹˈeɪt ˈiːstɚn ɹˈeɪlweɪ wʌz fˈɔːɹmd baɪ ɐmˌælɡɐmˈeɪʃən.
By the 1860s, the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble and most were leased to the ECR; they wished to amalgamate formally, but could not obtain government agreement for this until 1862, when the Great Eastern Railway was formed by amalgamation.