The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-05 00:00:00

Usiimpad, id. Additioadj

RAILWAYS.

THE NEW METROPOLITAN COMMUNICATIONS,

One of the most important considerations arising
oat of the Report of the &dot Oooimittee on Metropolitan

Goasitanloaticu is the effect the new lines will leave on the
misting railways having termini in London. A map will
scarcely show all that is needed for the consideration of
this subject ; for although a map indicates the situation of
each existing and proposed line, it may mislead as to the
*idioms proposed to be affected ; and as regards *Listing
railway intonate, these junctions are the matters of
pa:Lance.

Of all the lines entering London there can be no doubt
that the London end North Western and the North London
will be the most benefited by the line proposed
to be adopted. The new temiseground railway
front the Hampstead•road to Charing-crass will bring
the Loudon and North Western and the North London by
a direct route to that "groat centre of human exestesm."
This new line will be, in fact, an extension of the North
London from he present somewhat remote station at the
foot of Primrose-hfil to the great centre at Charing- moss ;
I thus enabling it to reach Southwark, London-bridge, and

Cannon-sheet. The Loudon and North Western will also
have the =Matey of the Charing-cross elation for its tea-
& , and will obtain a direct communication through London
with all the southern railways. It is somewhat curious
Wit, by an unexpeeted decision, the London:and Faith
Western should hive this greet advantage forced upon it at
• moment when it has been struggling to prevent any
metropolitan lines from being adopted. The London and
North Western have professed that they did not want to
get to Charing-isms. Thee were satisfied with their existing
communications with the railways south of the Theme by
way of Willesden and the West London Railway. The
London and North Western management thought no ad-
vantage was to be gained by getting to Charing-cross ;
whilst on the other band their rivals, the Midland and the
Great Northern, have been ardently longing and elaborately
scheming to get • communication of any sort with that sta-
tion. The result, by one of those curious accidents which
attend railway affairs, is that the London and North
Western finds itself with exclusive powers to get to Charing-
crom by a r3ute which can scarcely be said to be available to
it. rivals ; for although the projectors of the Hampebeed
and Cluuitiveross line propose to form • junction in the
tunnel with the Metropolitan Railway at Euston-square,
and ea to afford facilities for Midland and Great Northern
traffic, yet it is obvious that such an arrangement will pre-
sent comparatively small advantages compared with the
direct communications which will 'Wet between Charing-
cross and the London and North Western and North
London How at Camden-town. So great will be the ad-
vantages conferred upon the London and North Western
Company, that its shareholders will scarcely be surprised
to Sad a proposal laid before them, when the bill passe,
either to make the new line, or to subscribe • very large
proportion of capital towards it, so as to keep this communi-
cation in London and North Western hands, as IS now done
with the North London.

The decision of the joint committee (as to the Charing-
cram line can scarcely fail to disappoint the Midland Red
Great Northern Companies. They both hoped to get to
Charing-cram by Mr. Hawkshaves Chariot:4ms Northern '
Extension scheme, which was planned with the direct object
of effecting those oommunications. Coder the arrangement
proposed by the joint committee, those lion will probably
be more than ever driven to direct their traffic over the
Metropolitan,and Landoll, Cluithain,"and Dover, by the first
of which they will reach the City at Finsbury. whilst by
the other they will obtain somas to the southern suburbs
and to the West-end Station at Victoria. In regard, how-
ever, to the latter 'amnion, it is tolerably obvious that the
London and North Weirto' at Charing-cress will have the
advantage over the other northern lone.
The interests of the Great Western do not appear to
have been in any way considered by the joint committee,
nor does it appear that that railway will materially benefit
in any war by the new limn proposed. The Inner Circle
line, from the Metropolitan at Conduit-street (Paddingtoe)
to Victoria-street, will not help the Great Western, for the
Bee effect' no junction with the Victoria station. For the
same reason, although the Inner Cirole may be mid to
reach Charing-crom by the Thames embankmeet, yet is
consequence of the differeace al bevels it will afford so
means of reaching the Charing.oram station. The Great
Western, therefore, will derive no benefitfroin the western

ixteisslotik of the M44°1,011611 Lllway. It b U caution°
to work its traffic over that railway to Farringdon-street
and Finsbury-circus ; and for access to a station in the south-
west of London it most continue to rely upon that it at
preasot pommies over the Kensington line, by which it is
able to reach Victori►

One of the peat objections to the Inner Circle railway is
that it passes all the existing stations on its routs—Victoria.
Cherintorces. Cansowstrest, Feschurch etre*, and Liver-
pool-etreet—without forming junction with any one of them.
At Charing-cross, Feochnrch-street, and Liverpool-street,
when, the termini are on high levels, it will probably be
impossible to make junctions with a line in tunnel, but this
can scarcely be the ease at Victoria-street and Cannonetreet,
where the stations are on the level ; and it would certainly
be very desirable that junction should, if possible, be made
at each of those points. It is somewhat cations that the
joint committee should have altogether lost night of this
important fact, seeing that their report in favour of the
Inner Circle line was expressly agreed to, " with a view to
the distribution of passenger traffic arriving by the main
lines of railway maw within the metropolis ;" an object
which the Inner Circle, se at preheat planned, entirely fails
to accomplish.
The joint committee will appear to many who read their
report to have beta very careful of the interests of the Great
Eastern Railway. It may be doubted, however, if they have
not done a great injury to that railway by throwing over the
Tottenham and Farringdon-street Railway—a line which
was divined to connect the Cambridge line of the Great
Easters with the Ferringdonstreet Station. thereby put-
ting the Great Fasten into direct communication with the
Great Western and Midland Railways; and which would
also have 'forded peat accommodation to the populous
localities of Stamford-hill, Stoke Newington, Highbury,
Islington, Ac. It is the more curious that they should have
thrown out this bill, as it was a distinct recommendation of
the Lords' committee of 1863 that the Great Eastern should
be brought into communication with the western railways,
which this line would have effected.

By the Fist London (Thames fusee') Railway, proposed
for adoption by the foist committee, the Greet Easters and
Blackwell lines will be ►ble to communicate with the
Brighton and South Eastern Railways at New-orces. The
joint committee also recommend that this East London
Railway shall be connected with the North Loodoo line.
which in fact is proposed to be accomplished by a junction
in Liverpoolotreet. The value of those junctions, however,
must be greatly modified by considerations which the joint
committee do not appear to have bad before them. At,
line of railway at the extreme east end of London must
be chiefly serviceable for the pump of merchandise and
mineral traffic from north to south. But how are heavy
merchandise and mineral traits to be worked on gradients
of 1 is 50, as will be necessary to pt into the Thames
Tanned wader the London Docks, or on a rising iocliee of 1
in 70, which will be required from the south shore of the
Thames to the juvotion with the southern railways?
The cast of working heavy Scathe on such gradients
must almost absorb receipts. The scheme is a very good
one for selling the Thames Tunnel, but for the purposes of
• railway company, it seems difficult to hoagies any one
embarking is it, especially considering that the line is esti-
mated to cost three millions.

It may be supposed ►hat the Brighton and South Eastern
Railway Companies might derive advantage from being able
to work their traffic to Fenchuroh•strnt or Liverpool-street,
or on to the Metropolitan Railway, by • Sae through the
Thames•tunnel. These companies, however, will presently
have a series of stations at Loadon•bridge, Canaon.street,
Charing-cress, mad Victoria, which can seareely be exceeded
foe public ceavenicom, and it la t►anfore difficult to
loggias t►at say Dow route into the City would beat service
to them. The arrangement which would probably brat
accommodate the traffic of the Brighton and South Easters
would, as already indicated, be the formation of junction
with the Metropolitan Inner Circle at Gummi-street sod
Victoria.

AN reprde t►e Loedoe, Chatham, sad Dover, the report
at the joiat oommittes cannot be ommideeed ualsvostable

[TWOPENCE

to the interests of the line. Although oommunicationa are
to be meek between the north and loath, both to the west
and east of London, yet the Blackfrius Extension to
Farringdon.strest will still be the mistral link in the chain
of metropolitan communication, and with this through line
no direct competition is sanctioned. As regards the London
and South Western, it does not appear to be in soy way
affected by the report. The management continues to
think the station in the Waterloo-road "everything th►t
could be wished." The public, we believe, anxiously anti•
cipate the day when this company will afford them some
facility for getting to Charing-croes and London•bridge,
by the tr.eans now available to them, if they choose to
use them.