The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-17 00:00:00

BELGIAN RAILWAYS.

Belgium is the only country which at once traced a
general network of railways. In 1833, Malines being
taken as a central point. lines were projected to extend
east, west, north, and south; and this plan has since been
pursued under all the disadvantages of politi,lal and
commercial difficulties, with a perseverance deserving of
all praise.
The guiding principle of the Government in designing
the first railways was to make the Belgian lines the
great means of transit from the Rhine to the sea. Hence
the choice of Malines as a central point. But the
arrangement was purely artificial, and Brussels practi-
cally remains the principal point from whence all the
trains start, Malines being of no more importance than
an ordinary station.
The Belgian Government lines now completed consist
of 559 kilometres, divided into sections, as follows:

Kilometres.
1. The Northern Line. From Brussels to
Malines and Malines to Antwerp, with
two branches ....
2. The Western Lines—Malines to Termonde,
Termonde to Ghent, Ghent to Bruges,
Bruges to Ostend, Ghent to Courtray,
Courtray to Tormeny and the frontier... 200
3. Eastern Lines—Malines to Louvain, Lou-
vain to Tirlemont, Tirlemont to Waremme,
Waremme to Ans, Ans to Liege, Liege to
Chenio, Cheni3e to the frontier, Landen
to St. Trond
4. Southern Line—Brussels to Tubise, Tubise
to Soignies, Soignies to Mons, Mons to the
frontier, Brain-le-Compte to Naun
The above network commenced on the sth of May,
1835, and was completed in October, 1843.
It consists of 235 kilometres of double way.
324 single way.

Making a total of 559 kilometres.
The gauge of all the lines is 1 metre 50 = 4 feet 81
inches. The space between the double line i• 2 metres
6 feet. The weight of the rails is 501bs. English to
the yard.
Kils. Miles. Francs.
235 a 145 of doubla line, cost 59,161,724 ==, 2,366,469
324 „ 202 of single line, cost 89,466,969 „ 3,578,679

559 „ 347 148,628,693 „ 5,945,148
The capital neoessary for the construction of these
lines was raised as follows :

Effective Nominal

Capital. Capital.
June 18, 1836; Loan at 4 per cent. 24,524,164f...26,886,439f.
May 25, 1838 ; Loan at 3 por cent. 32,267,256 —45,857,439
June 26, 1840; Loan at 5 per cent. 69,472,643 ..73,557,947
June 29, 1842 ; Loan at 5 per cent. 24,000,000 • .23,484,487

150,264,063 f, 169,886,312 f.
The mean rate of interest being 4.86 per cent. per
annum.

The average cost of the whole series of 550 kilo-
metres, or 347 miles, was 265,883 francs per kilometre,
or 17,1321. per mile, which is thus divided .

per mile,
Fronts.
Land and compensation .
Earthwork, bridges, tunnels, &c. •• 111.227 „ „ 7,163
Permanent way 48,857 „ „ 3,146
Stations and buildings ........
Working 5t0ck........ ...... •• • 34,169 „ „ 2,207
Miscellaneous expenses.. • .

265,883 17,132
The actual:has exceeded the estimated cost by 128 per
cent. The land required (estimated to cost 17,000,000 f.)
cost actually 54,000,000 millions. The buildings, esti-
mated at 3,000,000, cost 9,000,000. The earthwork cost
also three times its estimated cost. The permanent way,
estimated with 351bs. rails to cost 24,000,000, cost actu-
ally 34,000,000, with rails of 501bs. per yard.
The above lines have all been constructed by the Go-
vernment, and are worked entirely by the State. They
constitute the only lines in operation in Belgium, with
the exception of short irregular lines in the coal districts
of Mons and Charleroi for conveying coals from the pits
to the canals, and a short single line of railway for local
traffic from St. Nicholas to Antwerp.
Eleven lines of railway have been conceded to private
companies, none of which are yet opened to traffic.
The concessions are for terms of years, and, with
slight modifications, embrace conditions very much re-
sembling those adopted by the French Government.
On the expiring of the term of the grant, the Govern-
ment shall immediately become possessed of all the rights
of the grantees.

The shares shall not be quoted, either on the exchange
of Antwerp or that of Brussels, until after the entire
completion of the railway.
The following is a list of eleven lines of railway which
have been conceded to private companies. The term of
the grant is ninety years from the date of the entire
opening. The Tournay and Gurbise, and Landers and
Hasselt lines only, are to be constructed by the company,
but the Government will work them, paying to the com-
pany 50 per cent. of the gross annual receipts for ninety
years.

Miles.

From Antwerp to Ghent, conceded to De Ridder
and Co 3O
Entre Sambre and Meuse, conceded to Parry,
Richards, and Co 37 2.3
Louvain and Geraappe, conceded to Sherman
and Co 34 1-3
Namur and Liege, conceded to Spittiswood and
Co 43 2 3
Mons and Manage, conceded to ditto
Dendre Valley, conceded to Sir Richard Jen-
kins, Sir John M`Taggart and Co 37i
West Flanders, conceded to Parry, Richards,
and Co
Tournay and Jurbise, conceded to Mackenzie,
Barry, and Co 3O
Landen and Ilassent, conceded to ditto
2
Charleroy to Erquelincs, conceded to Nevillo
and Co l7
Manage to Erquelines, conceded to Oppenheim
and Co l4l
There are 118 new demands for concessions, upon none
of which the Belgian Chambers have yet decided.
TARIFF OF TOLLS FIXED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
PASSENGERS.

Pence per mile.
First Class—On the State railways 1 22
Conceded lines
The Entre Sambre and
Meuse alone, on account
of the small passenger
train
Second Class—On the State lines 0.933
Conceded lines
The Entre Sambre and
Meuse line
Third Class—On the State lines
Conceded lines
The Entre Sambre and
Meuse
LUGGAGE.

portiitn of receipts in. 1844 has been—
FU
On the State lines 0'483 per cwt.
Conceded lines
Ther pas
per cent.
For light arid heavy goods 37 66 per cent.
Carriages, horses, cattle 3.84 41'5
Psrngers and luggage ......
........ 58 5

100

The mileage has been in 1844
Passengers trains .............................. 66 per cent.
Goods trains ....................................... 34
The receipts have been-
-1843.
1844.
From passengers Ist class 24 p'cent...lst class 26 p'cent.
2d class 37
...2d class 36
3d class 39
...3d class 38
The increase noticeable on the proportion of receipts
for Ist class in 1844 is due to the mean distance travelled
over having increased.
The passengers' fares have not varied in 1844 from
what they were in 1843; they have been :

d.
First class... 39 centimes per 5 kilog 11 per mile.
Second class 29 "
Third class 19 '' '6 "

. -
The goods fares have not varied materially in 1843
and 1844.

In 1844 the nett revenue from the Belgian State rail-
ways has been 3.89, or nearly 4 per cent. on the capital
expended, besides giving to the public gratuitous accom-
modation, valued at about 10,0001. per annum, for the
gratuitous carriage of the mails, and the conveyance of
materials required for several lines of railway free of
charge.

The State lines have further saved the Treasury con-
siderable sums in the conveyance of troops and prisoners
carried at lower rates than other passengers.
glf the, to several items be taken into consideration, it
will be found that the nett annual profits on the State
railways in 1844 exceeded four per cent. per annum
on the capital.
In addition to the services above enumerated, the
State railway carries, free of charge, the goods of all
emigrants proceeding to embark in a Belgian port, to
encourage the emigrants to use the Belgian ports.
And to encourage the export of native produce, a
drawback of 50 per cent. on the carrying charge fixed
by the tariff is remitted on the carriage of all Belgian
produce on its way to a Belgian port, and consigned to a
Belgian colony.
And when the number of emigrants amounts to 30
per train, 30 per cent, is deducted from the usual third-
class fares.
The goods traffic, which was scarcely thought of a
few years since, has increased more rapidly in compari•
son than that of passengers ; it is principally to the
carriage of heavy goods that the increase in the revenue
is due.

The revenue has exceeded the estimates in the bud-
get by 25,2001.
The object to be attained in fixing the Belgio-Rhenish
tariff, is to attract to Belgium, and especially to Antwerp,
the transit of German
roduce, which can only happen
when the charges by railway from Antwerp to Cologne
shall have been reduced to a level with or even below the
charges on water carriage by the Rhine from Cologne
p
to Rotterdam. But to accomplish this it is also essential
that no Custom House regulations intervene, to prevent
this development of this trade by railway.
The railway charges are now in most cases below, or at
most, equal to the charges for water carriage.
It is to the extension, says the Ministry, of the goods
traffic, that the State must look for any new increase in
the nett profits of the railway system.
It having been found impossible to reduce considerably
the charges on goods unless the waggons were fully
loaded, it was necessary to subdivide the trade into that
y
of heavy and light goods. The heavy goods to be car-
ried in full loads b trains specially suited to the purpose;
the light goods (or parcels) to be carried in waggons
forming part of the usual passengers trains.
The Actium of N wuboro v Fologoro, Expeuditure, and