The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-28 00:00:00

£877,056 in 1862
_and from goods £374,812, as
COnipared With £855,316 in 1863 and £317,729 iii
1862. The balances required to complete the totals
previously given as the rough receipts of the three
years were, of course, made up of miscellaneous
sources of income, percentage on working other
lines, &c. As regards the working expenses, they
may be subdivided as follows for 1864 i—Mainte-
=ice and renewal of way, £147,971, against
£144,433 in 1863 ; locomotive department, £188,953,
against £180,679 in 1863 ; carriage department,
£41,149, against £37,748 in 1863 ; traffic charges
(coaching and merchandise), £222,829, against
£207,833 in 1863 ; general charges, £45,820,
against £45,727 in 1863 ; and Government duty,
rates, &c., £65,550 against £61,683 in 1863.
The increase in the outlay last year in the
locomotive and carriage departments will be
explained at once by the fact that the aggre-
gate distance traversed by trains last year was
5,451,648 miles, while in 1863 it was only 5,128,473
miles, and in 1862 4,726,243 miles. The expansion
of business indicated by these figures accounts, of
course, for the increase of the working expenses
generally last year. With the exception of 1852, it
may be stated that the train mileage of each 12
months has been constantly increasing in every year
since 1850. In the last-mentioned year the distance
run was 1,808,932 miles, so that if we compare 1864
with 1850 we see that the train movement has in-
creased threefold in 15 years. Upon every train
mile run, however, last year the profit realised was
only 2s. 9d., while in 1850 it was 3s. 6kd. Without
taking account of season-ticket holders (the num-
ber of whom was 5,582 in 1863), we may state that
the number of passenger tickets issued last year
was 9,925,343 (of which 2,317,813 were first-class,
5,256,480 second-class, and 2,351,050 third-class).
In 1863 the passenger aggregate was returned
at 9,180,283 (of whom 2,056,634 were first-class,
4,865,040 second-class, and 2,258,609 third-class).
The weight of goods conveyed over the system
last year was 882,204 tons, as compared with
821,359 tons in 1863 ; and of coal, 440,488
tons, against 376,218 tons in 1863. The number
of live stock carried last year showed a large in-
crease, the total being 540,955, as compared with
412,894 in 1864 (67,312 cattle, 318,358 sheep, and
27,224 pigs). As in the case of ' the Brighton, the
movement of goods is not very considerable over the
London and South-Western system. It is, however,
being sedulously and successfully developed, and it
may be remarked that while in 1864 the total move-
ment of goods and minerals was 1,322,692 tons, it
amounted in 1850 to only 298,762 tons. In fact,
regard the network in whatever light we may, its
productibility appears to be steadily increasing.
Our figures have thus far stopped short at 1864, but
if we carry them to June 30, 1865, we find that in
the six months ending with that date the rough re-
ceipts were £694,200, as compared with £663,840
in the corresponding half of 1864, while the net re-
venue was £336,293, as compared with £320,139 in
the corresponding half of 1864.
In connexion with the more immediate develop-
ment of the undertaking, we may state that the line
between Yeovil and Exeter is being doubled, by
which means the company will, of course, be ena-
bled to maintain a more effective train service to
Exeter and the extreme West. A double line of rails
is also nearly completed between Salisbury and
Yeovil, a measure contributing to the same object.
The construction of a line between Southampton
and Netley, and of an extension at Chertsey is pro-
gressing satisfactorily, and both lines are expected to
be completed by the stipulated time. A line between
Kensington and Richmond has been staked out, and'
considerable progress has been made in obtaining,
the necessary land. The opening of the Weymouth
and Portland has been delayed in consequence of
fresh difficulties having arisen betweeu the pro-
moters and the Great Western as the Weymouth
station •, the line having to be worked jointly by the
Great 'Western and the South-Western, the action
of the one company has been impeded by the in-
ability of the other to commence the traffic. Pro-
gress has been made in perfect arrangements with
the London, Chatham, and other metropolitan com-
panies for the development of a metropolitan traffic
not only between the suburban system of the Lon-
don and South-Western and the densely-populated
area south of the Thames, but also with lines to the
north of the great river. The works of the London,
Chatham, and Dover at Battersea are nearly com-
pleted, and the extension of that line into the Clap-
ham Junction station on the north side of the Lon-
don and South-Western is also in a forward state.
In July a service of trainsbetween Euston and Lon-
don-bridge via Kensington and Waterloo, was com-
menced, together witn an arrangement of local
trains between Waterloo and London-bridge. Con-
struction operations have been commenced on the
Tooting, Merton, and Wimbledon, which by an act
of last session is vested jointly in the London and
South-Western and the London, Brighton, and
South Coast. It has been determined to erect new
and suitable station premises at Portsmouth. An
extension has been authorised from the main line
at Pirbright, by Aldershott to the Farnham and
Alton at Farnham. In the west of England—
that is, in Devonshire and Cornwall— the company
has obtained powers applied for in respect of a pro-
posed extension of the North Devon from Bideford
to Torrington, while extensions are also proposed
from Okehampton to the Cornish coast at Bude and
by Hatherleigh to Torrington. By an act—with
which, however, the London and South-Western

has no connection—an extension of the narrow
gauge has been authorised to Truro. The existing.
Cornwall Railway has not been financially success-
ful, andif this narrow gauge extension to Truro
should be carried out it cannot fail to be prejudiced
by it. The further the narrow gauge gets into the
west, the better of course will it be for the London
and South-Western; and it will be a proud day for
the directors when a traveller can be booked from
Waterloo to•the Land's End. Unless, however, the
London and South-Western finds some of the capi-
tal—and we presume that by an honourable under-
standing with the Great Western it is prohibited
from doing so—it is not very clear that the narrow
gauge will include Truro in its grasp for some time
to come. But the broad gauge has probably received
its death-blow. The death of Brunel, whose splendid
genius as an engineer was sadly marred by his reck-
less inattention to financial considerations, deprived
the 7ft. gauge of its most formidable champion; and
as it is doubtful whether the Great Western can
ever develope a goods traffic with complete success
so long as it is isolated to some extent from its
neighbours, it seems within the range of possibility
that 20 years hence we shall see one uniform rail-
way gauge throughout Great Britain.—Tiines.