The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-02 00:00:00

but aith .
augh, ii we have stated,
the railway corn- I bounded by Skinner-steet, Farringdon-street, and the
044;40 who propose to Mew their lines into the City or Old Bailey. This line would be about si. miles in
Its nelghbeurhoed have shown themselves sensible of length, and the entire estimate is 1,200,0001. A tunnel
this, we have not fBund that the enlargement of thorough- would carry the railway through Clapton-hill. From
fares and general accommodation which they offer to Kingsland-road to the City-road the line would be in
the public is in any case commensurate with the incon- au open cutting, and from the City-road to Skinner-
venience which might be expected to result from the street there would be a continuous tunnel of more than
execution of their scheme. a mile in length.
We must ,therefore, express our decided opinion, that If this line should in other respects receive the
xnlee ache existing main line of streets are enlarged and sanction of Parliament, it should be on the condition
improved to a degree far beyond the intention, and that its terminus is placed on the north side of the City-
perhaps beyond the means, of any of the railway corn- road, where it would confer as much convenience on the
panies or projectors with whom we have had communi- public as if it had been placed in Farringdon-street ;
cation, the legislature would not be justified in sane- while the company would save a great and unnecessary
tioning the extension of any railway into the neighbour- expense ; the invasion of private property would be
hood of those streets. avoided ; and the public would escape the inconvenience
And here we would observe, that the enlargements that would result from the crowding of some of the
and improvements which would be required, are not principal thoroughfares of the city.
merely the providing open spaces and areas immediately 4. THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM TERMINUS AT FAR-
round the station for the reception of the cart iages and RINGDON-STREET.
Cher vehicles which may arrive at or depart from it, It was proposed by the London and Birmingham Com-
eut a widening, more or less extended, according to pany to construct a line from their goods station at Cam-
ircumstances, of those channels through which traffic den-town, which, after crossing College-street, Kentish-
must approach the railway, and which, if overcrowded town, would have been carried in a direct course to the
now, must become more so in proportion as the site of angle formed by the intersection of the Holloway-road
the station is found to suit the convenience of the with William-street, and thence would have proceeded
travelling public. across the New-road, near Winchester. place, by the
What we have said of the main thoroughfares running north east side of the New River Head, to form a June-
. east and west applies, though generally in a less degree, tion with the Tottenham line, near the north end of St.
tee many other important lines of street traffic upon or in John's-street.
the immediate neighbourhood of which it has been pro- By this means the terminus of both companies would
posed to place the terminus of a railway—Gray's Inn- have occupied the area inclosed by Farringdon-street,
lane, for Instance, and Queen-street, Cheapside. Skinner-street, the Old Bailey and Ludgate-hill, (ex-
That the enlargement of the great thoroughfares to eluding the houses on the north side of Ludgate-hill,
the extent which we have sugeested, and which we are and a few adjacent houses in the Old Bailey.)
convinced :would be found alispenseble if railway This project was designed by the Birmingham
should be permitted to approach them, can be purchased Company as a means of delivering to the pub-
only at a vast expense, is obvious. How much of that lie, at a reduced rate, such goods as might be destined
expense it might be just that the constructors of the for that quarter of the City, and also of providing a few
railway should bear, and how much should be borne by trains for the convenience of short traffic to and from the
the district to be benefited, or by the public, can only be City. But Mr. Glyn, the chairman, and Mr. Creed, the
determined upon a careful consideration of each par- secretary to the company, having stated in their evi-
ticular scheme. But if hereafter anything should lead dence that they have abandoned this scheme, firstly, be-
to the admission of railways, or railway termini, within cause it is not required for the public convenience, and
that portion of the district submitted to our investigation secondly, on account of the large capital which the con •
whioh lies north of the Thames, and if any company, or struction of such a work would demand, it is unneces-
number of companies, should be willing to undertake sary for us to take any other notice of this project, than
wholly, or partially, the execution of such street ins- to say that the reasons for its abandonment appear very
provements as we have adverted to, we are of opinion conclusive and sufficient.
that it will be to the advantage of all parties, that these 5. THE DIRECT LONDON AND MANCHESTER LINE, AND
should be planned and prescribed to the companies, and THE LONDON AND MANCHESTER EXTENSION TO THE
finally carried out under the authority of some depart- CITY.
merit of your Majesty's Government, in conjunction For the Direct London and Manchester it is proposed
with the Corporation of the City of London, or with the to have a terminus at Battle-bridge, near the City-road;
local authorities of the district in which the works are and fur the London and Manchester Extension to the
to take place. City, it is proposed to have a western terminus, bounded
We give this as our opinion, because we consider that by Holborn-hill, Farriugdon-street, Shoe-lane, and
the merit of the street improvements of London, in harp-alley, as well as an eastern terminus inclosed by
regard as well to their utility and beauty as to the econo- Victoria-street, West-street, King-street, and Skinner-
my and convenience with which they can be carried out, street,
must greatly depend upon their being executed with one The line down the Fleet valley would be by a subway, '
intention, and as part of one well-considered scheme, partly formed by tunnelling, and partly by open cutting.
and because we see no security for this, if they are left Neither of these lines is now before Parliament.
to originate with different railway companies, according The estimate for the extension into the city is
as these may spring up, and without any other supervi- 750,0001., the distance being two miles, two furlongs, and
sion than that supplied by Parliamentary committees. seven chains.
The foregoing observations and suggestions are di- The lines are shown on the map as starting from
rected to the consequences which would result from Holloway, and running within a short distance of each
bringing the termini of railways, and the consequent other, down to the City-road.
increase of traffic, into the vicinity of any of the princi- The terminus at Battle-bridge seems well calculated
pal lines of streets. for the Manchester and London and the intermediate
The interference caused by a railway crossing a traffic. But the separate branch, commencing at Lower
thoroughfare in its passage to a distant point, is, as Holloway, and passing through a considerable length of
regards the traffic at the thoroughfare comparatively the city, for the purpose of establishing a terminus at
unimportant—assuming of course that there can be no Farringdon-street and Skinner-street, is, in our judg-
question of crossing any street or road in the metropolis meet, quite inadmissible.
on a level; and, whether effected by a viaduct or a deep 6. THE NORTH LONDON JUNCTION RAILWAY.
Cutting, it need not, we conceive, if properly constructed, This line, which comprehends the branch already
prove any serious inconvenience to ordinary traffic ; described as commencing on the Eastern Counties Rail-
though, of these two methods, the latter would be the way at Bearbinder's-lane, is intended to connect the
less objectionable, inasmuch as it would not require that Great Western and London and Birmingham Railways
any part of the railway should be occupied by piers or with the Eastern Counties line. Commencing on the
supports. west at the Paddington station, it would take a north-
We must not dismiss this part of the subject without easterly direction, passing through Portland-town, above
noticing that which forms a part of the several projects Lord's Cricket-ground, so as to form a junction with the
before us, viz.—the carrying a railway across the river London and Birmingham Railway near the goods ter
within the metropolis. We are of opinion that there are minus at Camden-town. At that point it would turn to
strong reasons for discouraging such a scheme. An in the eastward, crossings the Kentish-town and Camden-
crease in the number of bridges already existing cannot town roads, and running down nearly to Frog-lane,
take place without creating a new obstruction to the na- whence one branch would, as already described, be car-
vigation
of the river, and therefore should not be per- ried to join the Eastern Counties' line, near Bearbinders'-
mitted except upon grounds of paramount necessity. To lane, and another would proceed direct to the Fore-street
withdraw from ordinary traffic, and to appropriate to the terminus. The distance from Paddington to Fore-street
purposes of a railway any of the existing bridges, would by this line would be six miles.
be an inconvenience and injury to the public ; and no The terminus is proposed to occupy a space of eleven
plan which has been brought before us for adopting any acres, and the whole cost of the work and purchase of the
of the bridges to both purposes is free from serious prat property is estimated at 1,392,829/. ;as already men-
tical objections. tinned, there will be If mile of viaduct from Islington to
4. AS TO INTERFERENCE WITH PLANS OF IMPROVE• Fore-street.
NEXT ALREADY SUGGESTED. We are of opinion that this line presents considerable
Judging by what has already occurred, we are bound commercial and other advantages, in so far as its main
to state that if railways are admitted within the limits trunk would, to a limited extent, answer the purposes of
prescribed to us on the north bank of the river, such in- such a line as we have ventured to recommend in the
terference must be expected to take place to a consider- first part of our report ; that is, a line encircling Lon-
able extent,
don, connecting all the railways entering the town with
From the evidence of Mr. Pennethorne it will be each other, and with the docks, and thereby enabling
seen that the only two railways which as yet have been an unbroken communication to be maintained between
permitted to enter or approach those limits have proved all parts of the country through the metropolis.
a serious impediment to the execution of improvements, We are not, however, prepared to say that the line
the advantage of which to the eastern portion of the which the North London Junction Company propose
metropolis is unquestionable. The Blackwell Railway to take is, even so far as it goes, the best for this pur-
having, by its passage across White Lion-street, greatly pose. The ground over which such a railway as we
interfered with the formation of the new street from have suggested would most conveniently pass, would lie
the London Docks to the Commercial-road ; and beyond the limits of our inquiry ; and tor this reason
the Eastern Counties Railway having by the low level we have not entered into any comparison of the merits
of its viaduct put a stop to the extension of the same of the North London Junction line with other lines, or
new street northwards, at the back of Spi taitields Church, portions of lines of a like nature, which we shall have to
as well as to the improvement of Brick-lane. notice hereafter.
That similar eases will occur again, if railways are As to that branch, however, of the present scheme
allowed further to penetrate the town, and to approach which would come to Fore-street, and therefore within
the northern bank of the river, cannot be doubted. A our limits, we are of opinion that it is open to the same
glance at the map which accompanies the evidence an- objections as apply to other proposed extensions to ter-
tamed to our report, is sufficient to show that lines en- mini in the City.
tering London from the north cannot be brought down 7. TUE REGENT' CANAL .
to Holborn, Farringdon-street, or Aldersgate-street, The capital of this lineS (which is nRAILWAYot before Parlia-
without intersecting any future thoroughfare, east and merit), was intended to be 3,000,000/., of which
west, which may be opened to the north of Holborn, and 1,000,000/. was to be paid for the canal.
the want of which, as an accommodation to the traffic The railway would, with a few slight deviations, have
of the metropolis, is sensibly felt. kept the line of the canal. The leading feature of the
Whether the course 'which railways might take in project was, to unite all the railways north of the river
Thames with the Post-office, and with the docks of the
passing through the town, would be fatal to the future
carrying out of that or of any other improvement, would port of London.
at present depend mainly upon the pleasure and conve. The terminus was intended to occupy an area of eight
nience of the respective companies. But this is a state acres, and to be placed in Aldersgate-street, by which
of things which, if the Legislature should deem it right it would be bounded on the west, having Barbican for
to sanction the extension of railways into the heart of its northern limit.
the metropolis, cannot, we humbly submit, in safety The line was to commence at the Paddington station
continue ; and the course which we would suggest as of the Great Westerwßailway, and to proceed, according
best calculated to check the inconvenience, the eonfu- to the present course of the Canal as far as that point
sion, and the collision of interests, public and private, which is nearly opposite to the end of the grand avenue
which will otherwise ensue, would be the same with that in the Regent's-park, where it would branch off in three
which we have already described in treating of the in- directions ; the northern branch curving to the left to
terruption of thoroughfares—namely, that the lines to form a junction with the London and Birmingham
be adopted by railways in entering the metropolis, the Railway at the Camden-town goods station, and the
elevation at which and the point to which they should be southern branch running down to the basin, near the
carried, and the degree and manner in which they should back of the Life Guards barracks. The centre line, which
be required to adapt themselves to works of public im• indeed is the main line of this scheme, would be carried
provement, should be laid down and prescribed to them through Pentonville to Islington, where a branch would
by your Majesty's Government, aided, whenever it may be constructed by one of the two alternative lines shown
seem right, by local authorities, and sanctioned by the on the plan, to the point of their junction, at the inter-
wisdom of Parliament. section of Old-street and Golden-lane, whence one line
Having thus given our general opinion upon those would be formed direct to Barbican.
points to which, by your Majesty's commands, our con- From Islington, the main line of the railway would
sideration was directed, we will now proceed to examine, continue by the course of the Canal to the south angle of
.ieriatint, the several projects which have been brought Victoria-park ; there a branch would go to the north-
before us,
east, while the main line would keep a southerly direc-
The schemes submitted to us for establishing railway don towards the Thames, until arriving at a point of the
termini north of the Thames, and ether within or near Mile-end-road, it would separate into two branches, one
the limits to which our attention has been especially westward to the basin of the Regent's Canal, and the
called, are as follow, viz.— other eastward to the West India and East India leucite.
11. AN EXTENSION OF THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY The observations which we have made upon the North
TOWARDS FINSBURY-SQUARE. Lendon Junction apply also to this line. And for the
It is proposed to effect this by carrying the line across reasons which have already been given, its central ter-
the City-road to a terminus which would occupy the minus in Aldersgate-street cannot be recommended,
entire space of the :Artillery-ground, or to an area 8. THE DIRECT NORTHERN RAILWAY TERMINUS IN
bounded by Castle-street on the north, by Paul's-street HOLBORN.
en the east, by Providence-row on the south, and by the The company associated for the purpose of forming
City-road on the west ; or, thirdly, Finsbury-square the Direct Northern Railway, in the first instance, con-
itself, templated establishing their terminus on the north side
There can be no question that the p-esent terminus et of the City-road, near King's-cross, in a space abutting
Shoreditch is not only very inconvenient to the West- to the east on Maiden-lane, and to the south on Weston-
end passenger, but that it is even remote from the place.
general points at which the great commercial business is Subsequently they proposed to leave the main line
transacted in the City. We are of opinion, however, half a mile north of the originally intended terminus,
that the traveller would gain very little by a prolongation and to carry their railway nearly parallel to Gray's Inn-
a the Eastern Counties Railway either to the Artillery lane on the west, Baldwin's-gardens on the north, and
Oround or to any other spot in that immediate neigh- Leather-lane on the east.
bourhood ; and since, as a general principle, we have This line would be throughout on a viaduct. The
arrivod at the conclusion that some great and
estimate for the works, and for the purchase of the
pro-
positive advantage would alone warrant such an perty required, is 580,0001., as applicable to the London
interference with private property, and with the public and York train, to which it is proposed to assign a ter-
thoroughfares, as the project now under consideration minus of about three acres in extent ; the remainder of
would require ; and as the extension in question would the space, viz., 5i acres being reserved for other northern
present an obstacle to an important improvement which lines. The purchase of this latter area is not included
is in contemplation by the formation of a street between in the above stated sum.
Spitalfields and Shoreditch, and for which a Bill is now We consider that no public advantage, commensurate
before Parliament, we are decidedly of opinion that we with the amount of inconvenience it would create, is
cannot recommend this project for adoption. likely to result from establishing the terminus of the
2. AN EXTENSION OF THE
FORE -S EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY Direct Northern Railway at Holborn ; and it appears to
TO TREET.
us that t would e more conveni, and much less According to this scheme, a line would branch off pensive, to place it on the north sideent of the City-rea.l ex-
.
from the main trunk line at Bearbinder's-lane ; after 9. THE EXTENSION OF THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM
which, taking a course to the north-west, through
To THE EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS.
Globe•towd• it Lwould cross the Bethnal.greeeeeeee, Beyond the limits referred to this Commission, there
touching the s6lltuern end of the Union Poor-house, and is shown on the plan the course of a line proposed by
gt hoeo
dLsosntda
otinonanwdithßi
being carried over the Regent's-canal, at Cambridge-
trhmeinvirgheastmlnCdoiamppaencykst.o connect their
heath,' would take a westerly course beyond Hagger-
stone and Hoxton, and crossing Shepperton-street, Starting. from Camden-town it would Model Pr son to
would proceed in a south- westerly direction, till it re- 1 the north of the Islington Cattle-
proceed the
run past the
cwossed the canal at a point te little to the eastward of market, and, taking nearly a straiht course between
NEvlacielekn. eyTahnedreHitomwoerutlednatuwronutlodon
aria to H
continueac k n
Vincent-place ; thence it would be carried in nearly a
!straight line to the terminus proposed to be formed in a
space bounded by Fore-street, Milton-stre et, Rape- in nearly a straight line to theeast end of the West India
maker's-street, and Moorfields. Counties line Docks. It would cross the Eastern r ; and
The branch above described is identical with the it is stated to be the intention of the Birmingham Coin-
peny to cross the Blaelewall Railway on the level. This
eastern portion of the North London Junction Railway,
and its length from the Regent's Canal at Islington to would be particularly objectionable, and should be
Boarbinder'e-lane is 3 miles. avoided. In other respects, the observations which have
i
The City terminus, which it is proposed to establish been made upon the North London Junction line apply
:',I pewe-street, would be common to the eastern counties to this scheme.
ratite ,as well as to that of the western lines which are 10. THE CENTRAL TERMINUS IN PARRINGDON•STREET.
proposed to be brought into connexion with the North Mr. Charles Pearson has brought under our notice a
London Jueetion Railway. From Islington to Fore- project which, it would appear,, has long occupied his at-
street, a
tension, for forming a Great Central 'Terminus at Far-
viaduct
distance of 11 mile, the line would be on a
ringdon-street.
_

In the proposition to establish a railway terminus in
Fore-street we do not discover any circumstance to
make it an exception to our geneal objections against
railway termini within the heart of the City. The pro-
posed branch to the Eastern Counties Line will be con-
iridered under the head of the North London Junction.
3. TUE TOTTENHAM AND FIBRINGDON-STREET
TERMINUS.
peciceeding from Tottenham, the line would pass to
the e.aet of the Islington cattle-market. Cursing a little
to the westward in crossing Shepperton-street, it woni,d
thence .run us a straight direction to Vincent-place, and
passing tinder the City-road, at right angles, it would
th.e angle formed by the intersection of
takeSkinner-strevt and St. John-street, whence it would be
carried in a curve to the north-west angle of West
Stnitgeld p a space proposed for the Serminus, and

He recommends a trunk railway, consisting of three
double lines, to run from Battle-bridge to his proposed
grand terminus at Farringdon-street, for the use of such
of the northern, north-eastern, and north-western lines,
as should desire to have a terminus in the centre of the
City, and who should be inclined to contribute fairly
towards its formation.
Mr. Pearson would carry the line of railway betweon
two rows of houses, which he proposes to build, so as
to form a spacious and handsome street, 80 feet in
width, and 8,506 feet in length. The railway to be on
the basement level, and to be arched over so as to sup-
port tbo pavement of the street, which would be on the
level of the ground-floor of the houses. Mr. Pearson
proposes to give light and air to the railway by open-
ings in the carriage-way and foot-path.
There would be two contiguous termini, one being on