Railway Time – Abby Burtner

Railway time denotes the standardized timekeeping system essential for the efficient and safe operation of railway networks. It originated in England in 1840 when the Great Western Railway adopted Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in all its timetables and stations, followed soon after by other British railway companies and the general public. Before railway time’s implementation, local times prevailed, leading to discrepancies and inefficiencies in scheduling and causing collisions and financial losses. The concept of standardized time rapidly spread worldwide, driven by industrialization, imperialism, and globalization. While the UK was small enough to operate on one national standard of time, elsewhere railway time played a role in the establishment of time zones; this shift is exemplified by the United States’ adoption of four time zones in the 1880s, again initiated by railroad companies. The broad adoption of railway time reshaped societal perceptions and practices regarding time; suddenly punctuality and precise timekeeping were valued among the general public because minutes now mattered acutely when dealing with rail timetables. However, despite its benefits in enhancing connectivity and productivity, railway time also faced resistance and highlighted the tension between standardized timekeeping and localized traditions. In some cases, this resistance came from standard time differing significantly from solar time, but in others, it symbolized outright defiance against standardizing life to a Western norm. Railway time also catalyzed a shift towards viewing time as a commodity and resource, influencing labor practices, daily routines, and societal norms. Its implementation marked a pivotal moment in humanity’s relationship with time, underscoring the interplay between technological innovation, economic imperatives, and cultural adaptation in shaping our understanding and experience of temporal phenomena.

Relevant references:

Thompson, E. P. “Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism.” Past & Present, vol. 38, no. 1, Dec. 1967, pp. 56–97. Silverchair,https://doi.org/10.1093/past/38.1.56.

Zadeh, Joe. The Tyranny Of Time. June 2021. www.noemamag.com, https://www.noemamag.com/the-tyranny-of-time.

Zerubavel, Eviatar. “The Standardization of Time: A Sociohistorical Perspective.” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 88, no. 1, 1982, pp. 1–23.