In 1918, the main line railway interests of Hebburn Ltd and the East Greta Coal Mining Co. were merged to form South Maitland Railways Ltd. This new company took over the ownership and operation of the Stanford Merthyr line and the Aberdare Railway, as well as all of the locomotives and passenger and goods rolling stock of the East Greta Co. The new company also took over the haulage over other colliery lines that were previously worked by the East Greta Co. On 8 and 9 December 2018, South Maitland Railway celebrated the centenary of this merger as well as 125 years since the running of the first train in 1893.