The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OPENING OF THE EAST AND WEST YORKSHIRE.—
This new line, that for fifteen miles accommodates the
east and west districts of Yorkshire, was publicly opened
on M ,nday, when three trains ran each way, connecting
the adjacent districts with the York and Newcastle and
Leeds and Thirsk system of railways. The line fur-
nishes facilities to the inhabitants of the beautiful neigh-
bourhoods of Knaresborough and Harrogate, and the
trains touch at Allerton, Marston, and other places, in
their transit. By means of it, the farmers of East and
West Yorkshire will be enabled to convey their corn,
cattle, and agricultural produce to market with double
the rapidity and at half the usual cost. The line has
cost between 200,0001. and 300,0001. Its chief works
are, a tunnel under a portion of the town of Knares-
borough, over the river Nidd, 300 feet long and 80 feet
above the river. Mr. Hudson has undertaken the work-
ing management of the line, to ascertain its probable
income, prior to entering upon an expected leasing pos-
session.—Leeds Mereury.
DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA.RAILWAY Traffic for week
ending 2d instant:-7721. 19s. 6d. dorresponding week
of 14st year, 879/. 17s.
On toe 29th ult. the railway from Barcelona to Ma-
trao was inaugurated amidst the enthusiasm of the people.
It is the first railway yet established in Spain. -
RAILWAY TRAFFIC.
(From Herapath's Railway Journal.)
Ott a period when directors seemingly think of nothing
but c idling up capital from the shareholders to make
railways, it may be as well to lay before those interested
a statement of the amount of the traffic, and the miles
opened at the end of 43 weeks of each of the years from
1842 to 1848 inclusive. Some allowance should be made
for the increase of traffic on the trunk lines, independent
of the increase of general traffic from the opening of so
many new miles of railway. Assuming the increase of
traffic oa the railways from 1842 to 1848 to be 5 per
cent. per annum, the surplus would represent the traffic
belonging to the new lines opened during each year, and
show
the advantage or the reverse, of continuing to
make lines or branches.
The facts derived from the actual working and re-
venge of the railways tell as powerfully against the
heati'ong system of
driving on with the construction of
new lines as the
of
railway shares present disastrous effect produced on
the valee in the market by the con-
tinued demand on railway shareholders for calls.
[Here follows a
table exhibiting the receipts during
the first 43 weeks of thee
and the
1842, 1843. 1844, 1845,
1846, 1847, and 1848, the length in miles opened at
the end of the periods.]
The table shows a gradual increase of traffic per mile
053ctober, 1848, a rapid
to October, 1845, and thence to
decrease. At the former period
milesd were opened
in the course of three years, while
:period of' three years 2,244 miles wereu Burin; the latter
, being
fta e times as much. Looking at the traffic,
per
mile clevqYthised great
fun the
eather
increase in miles opened and decrease
,shows that the directors are
going
too fast with their new lines, or that many o
lines actually abstract the traffic of the old lines ; forne itTi
will lase observed, in 1845, when 538 additional miles were
opened, the traffic rose from 2,410/. per mile, in 1842, to
2,711/. per mile in 1845 ; but during the next three
years, when 2,244 miles of additional railway were com-
pleted and in operation, the traffic sunk from an aye-
. -
Ta.e of 2,7111. per mile to 1,9551., being a falling off of
28 ner cent. Again, the traffic derived from the open-
inic! new lines appeals to be nearly equal to that on
the old- lines up to 1845; thus far the result was favour-
able ; but no sooner are 536, 826, and 882 miles opened
*hats the traffic derived from these new
successively '- , ,ii .
lines and bra, 'teems falls ,o 1,112/., 8941., and 4741. per
Tf works are continued at the same
miler espectivel)". -
rapid rate until all :ha railways ssnationed are
will L'.kewise continue to be
made, the result'
unsatisfactory—that is, a &c.rease in
Thethe receipts
amounted
per mile per annum. on the railw,:Y!"a
to , 48, 30,654/.
cost per mile of the railways completed t 18,482 amaoyue
to 34,920!., and of those completed up
t the cost of
per t
mile, so that it is not very robable la,:
30,000'.
construction will be vet.) ' much reduced below
the capital accounts are tos be
per mile, particularly if
always kept open. the shareholders must loo)!
To the traffic on the lines
times to decrease per mile
n
for a dividend, and if that co
reat many of them must
as new railways are opened, a Is
.dividends. The facts
go ultimately without interest of
cation of pat reference
'sere gh
rence
'sere presented do not favour the C. of money
Sha."es to any extent, the borrow" 6
• 1.,a
rate o.e. u calls, for the
interest, or any extraordinary' sacrifice on the
part of sLsarebolders themselves to pay p
Purpose of ~,,liking Ii nes, which, when made, cannot pay
a dividend.
Everything is, agea'nst the present system of making,
rapid calls and c tarryie ,g on of works at an alarming and
ea $r rate.