The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-18 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.

The report of the directors of this company states
that they have to submit on the 27th inst. two sub-
jects of great importance to the shareholders—viz.,
the expediency of leasing the Staines and Woking-
ham and the Portsmouth Railways. It also states
that the former consists of a double railway (18
miles in length) running out of the company's
Windsor line at Staines, and ending with a junc-
tion with the South-Eastern Company's Reading
and Reigate line at Wokingham, and of a short
junction railway, now in course of construction at
Reading, for connecting the South-Eastern Com-
pany's system with the narrow guage lines of the
Great Western Railway, which approach that town
from the north-west. It also comprises the right,
granted by Parliament to the Staines and Woking-
ham Company, of running over the South-Eastern
Company's line between Wokingham and Reading,
and of using their stations there. The South-
Western Company have for some time past worked
the Staines and Wokingham line, under a tempo-•
rary agreement, and are, therefore, not unac-
quainted with its resources ; and it is on a consi-
deration of these that the directors have arrived at
the conclusion that an arrangement of a more per-
manent character is desirable. The railway tra-
verses a favourite country for residence ; a consider- ,
able portion of its traffic passes,at scarcely appreciable
additional expense, over the South-Western Com-
pany's existing line between Staines. and London,
and it opens Reading,and the great convergence of
railways at that point,to the South-Western system,
On completion of the junction before referred to at ,
Reading, it will also afford the best opportunity of
transmitting goods without change of carriage from
or to London and its suburbs, to or from all points
on the narrow gauge railways now worked by the '
Great Western Railway. Company. The lease of the
Staines and Wokingham line is proposed to be for
42 year from the 25th March, 1858. The rent is to
be half of the gross receipts of the line between.
Staines and Wokingham, but not less in any year
than £7,000, this company paying the toll for the
use of the before-mentioned portion of the South-
Eastern Company's Railway, and retaining the
whole of the fares and rates received for the traffic "
on that portion. The granting and accepting of
this lease were sanctioned by Parliament during
last sesSion, subject to the approval of the share-
holders in each company. The terms of the lease
have been approved by the Staines and Woking-
ham Company, and the directors now recommend
the shareholders of the South-Western Company to
ratify the measure on their part. The undertaking
of the Portsmouth Company as originally authorised
by Parliament, consisted of a line 32 miles in length,
commencing from the South-Western Company's
railway at Godalming (34 miles from London) ;
running thence in the direction of the old turnpike
road by Haslemere and Petersfield towards Ports-
mouth, and ending at Havant, 66 miles from London,
by a junction with the Chichester and Portsmouth
line of the Brighton Company, on which and the
joint line of the Brighton and South-Western Com-
panies it relied for its connection with Portsmouth.
The Portsmouth Company next obtained powers
for the construction of a branch between three and
four miles long, from Godalming to the South-
Eastern Company's Reading and-Reigate line at
Shalford. Thus, through its junctions with the
South-Western at Godalming, and with the South
Eastern at Shalford, it proposed to open London
by a double route to the country below Godalming,
and by its junction with the Brighton Company's
railway at Havant, to complete a new line between
Portsmouth and London, of 73 miles only, by Guild-
ford and the South-Eastern. Each such route, it
will be observed, is considerably shorter than the
existing ones (of 942 miles) by Bishopstoke on the
one hand, and. by Brighton on the other. The
Portsmouth Company, in the last session of Parlia—
ment, notwithstanding every opposing exertion of
the Brighton Comptny, and this company, succeeded
in obtaining powers of running over the Brighton.
Company's line between Havant and Hilsea, with
the alternative power of making an independent
parallel line there, and a junction with this com-
pany's railway at the Cosham station ; they, also
obtained similar rights of running over the joint
line of the Brighton and South-Western Companies
betweeir Hilsea and Portsmouth ; and although
they were excluded from the privilege they sought
of using the Brighton and South-Western,
station at Portsmouth, except upon arrange-
ment with its owners, they obtained powers'
failing such arrangement, to construct an in'
dependent terminal station. The Portsmouth
Company have now also brought their under-
taking .into a state ready for opening. Matters
orrtae line, and for making
the s
in-
terchangenwerme.einntsviatsedtottohecon-
thussidstanding,er
proposals n
forth workingedit incidental
arrangements h
ar
traffic with it at Godalming, and for '
the accommodation of such traffic between London.
neee necessary
of
y eide n
and Godalming. The directors, after close and-
x
discussion, have at length succeeded ill
n
king a provisional agreement of lease, on terms -nlyi
which they can recoend the proprietors to ac-
cept.
The Portsmouth directors long maintained
that
:heir undertaking deserved a considerably
a making o
higher rental, and some influential proprietors of
(£lB,OOO
that company appear still to remain of that opinion ;
but although. the rent conditionally agreed on
a-year) will give no very high return w
their shareholders on an outlay of nearly.half A
million, the directors believe that it is a fair and
full rent, and such as should be agreed to by the
proprietors in both companies. The lease is pro-
posed to be for 99 years—a virtual perpetuity ; the
line is single throughout, with land, tunnels,
bridges over and under, culverts, &c., for a double
line, portions of double way at convenient intervals,
and eight stations are to be completed with the ne-
cessary conveniencedto the satisfaction of this com-
pany's officers. The lease will vest in the South-
Western Company the right of exercising all the
powers and privileges of the Portsmouth Company
except those relating to their capital and internal
regulation) on the same terms and in the sane,.
manner as the Portsmouth Company might, if
working their own railway, exercise them. if the
proprietors desire the agreement provisionally made
carried out the directors believe they will be able to
bring it and the arrangements incident to it to a
satisfactory conclusion, For this purpose they ask
the proprietors to confer on them the necessary
discretionary powers. In conclusion the directors
state that, should the lease of the Portsmouth Rail-
way be taken by the company, the proprietors may
rest assured that the directors will continue in the
earnest desire to remain on friendly terms with the
Brighton Company.

COLNE VALLEY EXTENSION.
A movement is being made for extending the
line of the Cohie Valley and Halstead Railway to
Audley End through Haverhill and. Saffreo
Walden.

lEDBURI AND HOPEBROOK.
It is proposed to construct a line of railway on
the broad guage from Ledbury through Marcie,
Dymock, and Newent to the Ilopebrook station of
the Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester Railway,
whence direct communication can be had with
London, South Wales, or the north.

STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON.
On Wednesday morning this company's tunnel
branch line of railway, which extends from the end
of the Shildon tunnel a short distance froin Bishop
Auckland, to St. Helen's, Auckland, was opened
for the conveyance of passengers to the latter place
and West Auckland. The line has been for
sane time used for the conveyance of coal;
coke, &c., from the numerous collieries in
the vicinity of the above village. The neW
line is about three miles in length, and will
enable persons in the district to reach Bishop
Auckland and Darlington with facility, in-
stead of.being compelled to travel by the Barnard-
castle branch via Staindrop.