Alfred Kitching (1808-1882) was a Quaker businessman, he and his brother William Kitching established Hope Town Foundry, Darlington in 1832. The company produced castings for the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Railway’s first engine ‘Enterprise’ and first passenger engine ‘Queen’ were there. The company also provided locomotives for the Cockermouth and Workington Railway. The Foundry was disposed of to the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1860 and part of the general engineering work was transferred to the Whessoe Foundry at Darlington.

Kitching was one of the first Directors of the Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway. He was a member of the Management Committee of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the early 1840s and went on to be on the Board of Directors in the 1850s. He was also Director of the Wear Valley Railway and remained in this position until the merger with the North Eastern Railway in 1866. He was a Director of the Frosterley and Stanhope Railway. In 1879 he was appointed the North Eastern Railway’s nominee Director to the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway and he held this position until his death.