The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

DIRECT SOUTHERN.

A meeting of parties interested in this scheme was
held at Hastings yesterday, to consider the propriety of
supporting a project for shortening the distance between
Hastings and London. The Mayor of Hastings presided.
Mr. HALY explained, that the promoters of the Direct
Southern Railway proposed to construct a direct line
from London as far as Tunbridge, at which place it would
join the Hastings branch of the South-Eastern Railway,
and convert it at once into a trunk line. An hour
would thus be saved in the journey between the latter
place and London. The proposed line would cross the
Thames over a new bridge, to be erected between Black-
friars and Southwark bridges, passing to the Elephant
and Castle, and embracing stations at Kennington-com-
mon, Camberwell New-road, Herne-hill, and Dulwich,
whence a short branch would convey passengers to the
Crystal Palace by the shortest route out of London.
The important villages of Beckenham and Bromley, and
the beautiful district of the Cray Valley would also be
served by the proposed scheme, which would pass
through the Shotham Valley to Sevenoaks, and thence
to Tunbridge, where it would cross the South-Eastern
by a viaduct, and join the present Hastings branch. The
estimates of the anticipated traffic showed the most re-
markable results. From the Elephant and Castle to
' Tunbridge, taking the district for one mile on either side,
the proposed Line would be found to serve a population
considerably larger than was traversed by all the other
railways out of London, for the same distance, put to-
gether ;in fact, it had an excess of 81,000. He con-
tended that the scheme was of vital importance to Has-
tings, which ought to endeavour to attract the London
merchants to make it a place of residence for their fami-
lies,_ as Brighton had already done.
Mr. ROBERTSON, M.P., proposed a resolution, to the
effect that great benefit would result to the inhabitants
of Hastings and the owners of property in the district
from the formation of the proposed line of railway from
the Thames, at Bankside to Tunbridge, by which Hast-
ings and London would be put in direct communication
with the metropolis.
Mr. A. BURTON seconded the motion, which was
carried.

Resolutions were passed in favour of supporting the
scheme ; and after a vote of thanks to the chairman, the
meeting separated.

MIDDLESBOROUGH AND GUISBROUGH.

This line, ten miles in length, is t:1);;;;Iied for the
carriage of goods and minerals on the sth. The arrange-
ments for passenger traffic are not yet completed.

DIRECT PORTSMOUTH.

The works have been commenced at Petersfield, and
a large number of men are employed on the Buriton
tunnel, which, it is expected, will occupy them five
months. The only engineering difficulty is a swamp at
Haslemere.

EAST KENT.
The works on this line have been commenced in the
neighbourhood of Faversham.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN EAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Oct. 29, 1853 £16,070 6 5
Corresponding week last year 14,604 11 0

Increase in 1853
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic return for the week ending Oct. 29,
1853 £12,351 15 2
Corresponding week last year 10,713 7 5
Total of the half-year to this date, 1853 270,319 0 6
Total of the half-year to this date, 1852 246,111 2 8