The authorexamines two topics that are often closely linked in public perception: lobbyism and corruption. The development of modern lobbyism in Great Britain and France is studied in the context of the railway industry by using a comparative approach. Furthermore it is of interest, when and how certain practices came under public scrutiny and could be criticised as corruption. Regarding personal connections between proponents of the railway industry and the state the 19th century marks a transition period. Hierarchic organized patronage structures of the early modern period gradually lost importance while network structures mainly based on economic capital gained influence. Violations of the already widely accepted division between the economy and the state were often negotiated in the context of corruption debates. These personal connections between both spheres came under pressure, when the exchange of economic capital became too obvious. Allegations of corruption could fulfil different purposes. As personal attacks they could discredit economic and political rivals. As general allegations corruption could de-legitimize economic and political systems.