The Eastern Counties Railway was authorised in 1836 to run from London to Yarmouth, via Colchester, Ipswich, Diss and Norwich, however it ended at Colchester which it reached in 1843. The remainder was built by three other companies and was completed in 1849, these three companies and the Eastern Counties Railway merged in 1862 to form the Great Eastern Railway. George Hudson became the company Chairman In 1845 however he resigned from the company after his financial mismanagement was exposed.