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This page presents a chronology of important events that influenced the development of signalling on Britain's railways.
| 1834 - | First fixed signal, Liverpool & Manchester Railway. |
| 1841 - | First semaphore signal, New Cross Gate (London & Croydon Railway). |
| 1846 - | First auxiliary signals, Hawick branch (North British Railway). |
| 1872 - | First semaphore distant signals with fishtailed arms, Norwood Junction (London, Brighton & South Coast Railway). |
| 1877 - | First 'somersault' semaphore signals, Great Northern Railway. |
| 1878 - | First use of route indicators, London Bridge (London, Brighton & South Coast Railway). |
| 1880 - | First use of the electric token system in everyday service, Callander & Oban Railway. |
| 1892 - | Board of Trade requires that signals in new works show only red or green lights. |
| 1914 - | First upper quadrant three-position semaphore signal, London Paddington (Great Western Railway). |
| 1916 - | First use of yellow lights in distant signals, Great Central Railway. |
| c.1918 - | First use of yellow distant signal arms, Great Central Railway. |
| 1923 - | First three-aspect colour light signals, London & North Eastern Railway. |
| 1924 - | IRSE Three-Position Signalling Committee report published. |
| 1925 - | Ministry of Transport requires that distant signals have yellow arms and lights. |
| 1926 - | First four-aspect colour light signals, Southern Railway. |
| 1926 - | Railway Clearing House agrees to the use of upper quadrant two-position semaphore signals. |
| 1932 - | Experimental speed signalling, Mirfield (London Midland & Scottish Railway). |
| 1933 - | First junction type route indicator, Thirsk (London & North Eastern Railway). |
| 1952 - | First level crossing provided with lifting barriers, Warthill (North Eastern Region). |
| 1955 - | (23 January) Derailment at Sutton Coldfield (London Midland Region) leads to provision of permanent speed restriction signs across network. |
| 1956 - | BR Automatic Warning System (AWS) introduced. |
| 1961 - | First level crossing provided with automatic half barriers, Spath (London Midland Region). |
| 1969 - | (7 May) Derailment at Morpeth (Eastern Region) leads to provision of advance warning indicators for certain permanent speed restrictions. |
| 1975 - | (28 February) Collision at Moorgate (London Underground, Northern City Line) leads to altered aspect sequences on approach to terminal platform lines. |
| 1975 - | (6 June) Derailment at Nuneaton (London Midland Region) leads to provision of AWS at temporary speed restriction warning boards. |
| 1979 - | First flashing yellow signal aspects introduced, Didcot East Junction (Western Region). |
| 1984 - | First application of Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB), Kyle of Lochalsh line (Scottish Region). |
| 1994 - | First SPAD indicator, Meadowhall. |
| 1997 - | First preliminary route indicator (PRI), Airport Junction. |
| 1999 - | Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) introduced. |
| 2003 - | First application of TVM430 cab signalling, Channel Tunnel Rail Link. |
| 2010 - | First application of ETCS Level 2 cab signalling, Cambrian Lines. |
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