The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-07 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional.)

NEW RAILWAY PROJECTS.

EAST•END OOE(UNIOATION&

The select committee of the Rouse of Lords, in
their "Report upon Metropolitan Railway Commu-
nication, " laid it down

That there should be a lips of railway on the eiders
aide of the restropolie coenectiog the railways north sad
midi of the Thum.

A very questionable resolution. For, first, such
a line of railway involves the passage of the Thames
where it is navigated by shipping ; and, second, the
railways on the south of the Thames which can be
connected with those on the north by • railway at
the east end of the metropolis, leave already pro-
vided for themselves other and more desirable
means of communication with the northern lines.

The London, Chatham, and Dover Railway will
be connected with the northern lines the moment
the Blackfriars-bridge communication is completed.
The Brighton Railway is now working its traffic in
direct connexion with the northern lines, by means
of its branch from Croydon to Clapham and the
new railway bridge at Kensington. The South
Eastern Railway, when the Charing-cross and Can-
non•street lines are opened, will be is ouch a posi-
tion both in the City and at the West-end that such
a communication as that proposed by the committee
of the Rouse of Lords would be injurious to its
own interests and of very little benefit to the
public. These, it should be observed, are the only
three lines of railway south of the Thames that
could benefit by a north and south communication
at the mist of London, for the South Western has
already a most ample means of communication
with the northern railways by means of its loop
line and a railway which carries the traffic between
Kew and the North Western system at the Willes-
den Junction.

However, the report of the Lords' committee has
led to four proposals for passing the Thames below
London-bridge. In two of these cases it is pro-
posed to utilise the Thames Tunnel : in the other
cases it is proposed to cross the river by bridges on
a high level.
The "East London Railway" proposes to start
from the Metropolitan in Finsbury-circus, and after
passing the North London station in Liverpool-
street, and the Blackwall goods depot in Haydon-
square, to pass under Ratcliff-highway to the
Thames Tunnel, from which it will emerge in
Rotherhitbe, so as to form a communication on a
high level with the London and Brighton Railway
where it branches off from the Greenwich line.

The " Thames Tunnel Railway" starts from the
Blackwell Railway near ita junction in Stepney
with the North London, and passing through the
Thames Tunnel, also joins the London and Brighton
line very near the point at which it branches from
the Greenwich. This railway proposes branches to
join the Greenwich line, and to communicate with
the Commercial Docks; and it also projects a branch
from the London Docks to the Monument, with a
view apparently of affording a direct railway com-
munication between the City and the various
docks on both aides of the river. Such a branch
' might also afford the North London an entrance
to the City independent of the Blackwell.
A very great difficulty which affects both these
proposed railways arises from the necessity they
labour under of passing under the locks or basins
of the London Docks. The London Dock Company
within the last few years have deepened and im-
proved their locks and entrances; but, as ships in-
crease in size, it would by no means be desirable for
the London Dock Company to have • railway
passing under its canals or basins at such a level
as to preclude its obtaining still further depth of
water. A railway through the Thames Tunnel
must, therefore, be made at a depth as great as that
of the Tunnel itself until it has passed under
the London Docks, and then, in order to effect a
junction with the Blackwell or North Loudon rail-
way, both which are on a high level, the gradients
from below the surface must be very severe, unless
a very long line of railway is executed. In the latter
case, of course, the cost of the line must be greatly
enhanced ; in the former, the utility of the line for
heavy traffic must be materially diminished.
In contrast with these schemes are the two pro-
posals for passing the Thames by high level bridges.
The " North and South London High Level
Junction" is a line laid out, as we understand, by
Sir Charles Fox. It starts from Moorgate-street,
communicates with the North London Rail-
way at Liverpool-street, crosses, on a very
high level indeed, over the Blackwall Rail-
way, and from thence reaches Tower-hill, from
whence it is proposed to carry it scrods the
Thames to join the London and Brighton line in
Bermondsey at no great distance from the entrance
to the present Brighton station. The roadway of
the bridge is proposed to be 100 feet above the level
of high water mark. The point at which it would
be constructed is, it will be observed, above the
dock entrances, and therefore above the portion of
the Thames resorted to by the larger class of
shipping.

The other high level bridge is proposed to be
constructed in connexion with Mr. Fowler's exten-
sive project for a railway to encircle London. It
is proposed to be carried across the river from
Limehouse to the Commercial Docks, some dis-
tance below the line of the Thames TunneL In
order to admit of the passage of shipping up the
river, the bridge is proposed to be built at a level
of nearly 160 feet above high water mark. This
bridge, as planned, would be a magnificent struc-
ture ; but it is quite obvious that the cost at
which it would have to be constructed would be
enormous. In order to obtain a level of 150 feet
above the Thames at Limehouse Reach it would be
necessary to construct approaches to the bridge
on very high arches and embankments for very
considerable distances on both sides of the river.
The Blackwell Railway, the Dock Junction Rail-
way, the North London Railway, the Tilbury
Railway, and the Great Eastern Railway, as well
as its various branches iu the neighbourhood of
Hackney Wick, would all have to be crossed, on
high levels, iu order to reach the Thames at
Limehouse ; in fact, in order to construct such
a bridge, the line of approach to it must be carried,
at a great and increasing elevation, all the way from
Stamford-Lill to Limehouse, a distance of at least
five miles. It seems impossible to imagine that a
communication made with so much difficulty and
cost could ever prove remunerative, especially
when it is considered that the line must always be
exposed to competition as a through route, and
that the two quarters of the metropolis proposed
to be united by so great a work, are the least densely
peopled and the least wealthy of all London.
An east-end railway that promises to afford con-
siderable local accommodation is proposed to be
made by the Great &stern Railway Company. In

[TWOPENCE

consequence of the remote position of that company's
metropolitan terminus, and of the great detour
which is made, by way of Stratford, before the Cam-
bridge line is reached, the northern suburbs of the
metropolis have been for many years placed at
great disadvantage as regards railway communica-
tion. Although the populous districts of Tottenham
and Walthamstow are close to the Great Eastern
line, it has been more convenient for the residents
in those localities to come to the City by coach or
omnibus, on • direct road, than to be carried round
by Stratford, only to be landed, after all, in the
remote locality of Shoreditch. This deficiency of
railway communication the Great Eastern Company
propose to supply. They propose to ran a line
through Bethnal-green, Cambridge Heath, Hack-
ney, and Clapton, to a point upon their North
Eastern line in close proximity to Walthamstow.
This will bring a vast amount of suburban traffic
into the new station of the Great Eastern Company
in Bishopagate-street ; and, as the new line will be
a very cheap one, must prove a large additional
source of revenue.
Another plan for the accommodation of the
same district has been proposed to the Great
Eastern directorate, and is said to be likely to meet
their approval. The Howe of Lords Committee re-
ported not only, " that the Great Eastern Railway
should be allowed to establish a more central station
than it has at present," but also, " that it should
be placed in communication with the lines running
to the western part of the metropolis." This latter
object it is proposed to accomplish by a line called
"the Tottenham and Farringdon-street Railway,"
which seeks to run from the Great Eastern line
across the River Lea to Stoke Newington, and then
to follow the coarse of the New River through
Islington, until it reaches Sadler's-wells, from whence
the line will drop through the wretched locality of
Clerkenwell into the Metropolitan Station at Far-
ringdun-street. This line would not only "place
the Great Eastern in communication with the lines
running to the western part of the metropolis," but
would give a very easy outlet from all parts of Lon-
don to the north-eastern suburbs, and greatly im-
prove the value of property at such places as Stoke
Newington, Upper Clapton, and Stamford-hill.
In addition to these there is a line promoted by
local interests in order to serve the same localities,
called "The Walthamstow, Clapton, and City
Railway ; " but it will probably be dropped before
the lines promoted by the larger companies.

SPECI t L NOTICks—THE BOOKS OF THE
NORTH BRITISH and MERCANTILE
I NM' HA NCI COMPANY,
For the year 1963, close on Slat December.
Life Policies elected on or before that date will rank for an
additional year• bonus comparison to later entrants.
During the Poor Years preceding last division of
proses jack, the Company Mused 1,693 Lila Policies,
assuring
Du=tb: roar succeeding Years the number of Life
issued 1111141111tIN to Alen and the awns
assured to £1,1P21,5M
Being an Increase of St per cent.
The SIXTH sErresslAL Pl VISION of the Company's
Prodte will take place on 31st December, 1865.
The whole Prods* which lune accumulated since 31st Decem-
ber, 19191. will then be divided. and ninety per cent. allocated
a the assured on the participating scale.
=flcAtcs of ludisyutabiluy gunned. iuid every facility offered
to insurers. .