The social history of Britain's railways is still largely unwritten. Yet it is probably true to say that railways had more radical consequences for the anatomy of the large mid-Victorian towns than any other single factor. Apart from increasing both their growth and prosperity, railways caused drastic changes in the configuration of many of their existing streets and in their internal communications. The changes they brought were not, however, confined to the physical layout of the urban landscape. Railways also influenced the daily lives of the townspeople themselves. It is the purpose of this essay to assess the impact which the building of railways had on one aspect of the lives of London workers a century ago, namely the condition and location of their homes. First, we shall examine the progress and extent of the housing demolitions which had to be made for new railways, and trace their immediate effects.