British Transport Police History Archive Online

The British Transport Police (BTP) can trace their pedigree back to 1826 when a mention is made of the Police establishment on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The force are therefore one of the oldest Police Forces in the world, pre-dating London's Metropolitan Police by three years. The BTP have often been in the forefront of Policing Techniques. The first arrest to be made by the use of "information technology" was made in 1845 by Sergeant WILLIAMS of the Great Western Railway Police when he arrested a murderer after a description of the man was passed to him by the newly invented "electric telegraph" The Railway Police were one of the first to recruit women to their ranks and in 1908 the North Eastern Railway Police pioneered the use of Police Dogs. The BTP Archives website will assist you in gaining more insight into the history of policing the railways and includes information about other areas the Force has historically been involved in such as London Transport, Docks and Canals.