E W WatkinSir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was a British Member of Parliament and railway entrepreneur. He was an ambitious visionary who oversaw large-scale railway engineering projects to achieve his business goals, eventually rising to become chairmanof nine distinct British railway companies. Among his more notable projects were the expansion of the Metropolitan Railway, which is now part of the London Underground; the construction of the Great Central Main Line, a purpose-built high-speed railway line; the creation of a pleasure garden with a partially constructed iron tower at Wembley; and a failed attempt to dig a Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel to connect his railway empire to the French rail network. Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was a British Member of Parliament and railway entrepreneur. He was an ambitious visionary who oversaw large-scale railway engineering projects to achieve his business goals, eventually rising to become chairman of nine distinct British railway companies. Among his more notable projects were the expansion of the Metropolitan Railway, which is now part of the London Underground; the construction of the Great Central Main Line, a purpose-built high-speed railway line; the creation of a pleasure garden with a partially constructed iron tower at Wembley; and a failed attempt to dig a Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel to connect his railway empire to the French rail network. Read More Read Less