Following the Transport Act 1947 of Clement Attlee's Labour Government, the "Big Four" railway companies came under state control on the 1st of January 1948. British Railways took over the operation of the large private companies, which came out of earlier rail industry consolidation following the Railways Act 1921: the Great Western Railway (GWR), the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the Southern Railway (SR). British Railways was divided into regions - including the North East Region, which covered the LNER lines north of York.