Great Central and Midland Joint Railway

The Great Central and Midland Joint Railway, formerly, before 1897, Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire & Midland Joint Railway, was a collection of joint railways, mainly in the Manchester and South Yorkshire areas. Because the M.S.& L.R. was known generally as "The Sheffield Company" the joint company was usually referred to as "The Sheffield and Midland Joint Committee".

In the South Yorkshire area most of the lines were colliery branches, where the companies joined forces to tap the coal measures and gain a foothold in the lucrative traffic. The main line within South Yorkshire was in two sections:

1. From Brancliffe Junction, on the former M.S.& L.R. Sheffield to Retford line to an end-on junction with the G.C., Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint Railway near Dinnington Colliery.

2. Leaving the G.C., H&B and M.R. Joint at Braithwell a line to both the Midland and former M.S.& L.R. lines in the Kilnhurst and Parkgate (Roundwood) area, much of this originally being built by the colliery company and being known locally, from 1910, as John Brown's Private Railway , linking their Silverwood Colliery to the staithes on the River Don and incorporated into the Rotherham, Maltby and Laughton Railway, which became a contituent of the G.C. & M. Joint.

Also included in the joint committee were short curves linking the partners lines.

In Manchester, most of these lines were on the eastern side of the city:

1. From Ashburys Junction, on the Woodhead Line, to New Mills where a branch line took the Great Central to Hayfield whilst the main section went to New Mills South Junction and joined the Midland line to Derby or Sheffield, via Chinley.

2. From the Woodhead line at Hyde Junction to Romily Junction, an alternative line (and diversion) from above.

At grouping these lines became joint L.N.E.R./L.M.S.R. property.