The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-17 00:00:00

Hey° that, unless the passenger traffic be combined with
the goods traffic, lines of railway in Ireland cannot at
present be maintained; and we Inv add, that unless the
goods traffic be fostered as much :as possible, railways
in Ireland will by no means effect that amelioration :in
the condition of the people which is looked forward to
as the result of well combined railway communication in
that country.
In examining the Irish Railway Commissioners' Re-
port, to which we have referred, we find that the pas-
sengers, by regular conveyances from Cavan, going to-
ward blin, are not considerable; at Kells they in-
crease ; and from Navau to Dublin they are greater still,
but not equal to the numbers of those going into Dublin
by the main roads from Drogheda., Leixlip, or Naas re-
spectively ; while the stream of goods traffic from Kells
and Navan together, to Drogheda is greater than to
Dublin.

If the line through Rolls and Navan to Dublin were
made, the two former towns would be debarred from ac-
cess by railway to their nearest sea-port ; and all ex-
ternal supplies and internal produce would necessarily
pass through Dublin, or would continue to be carried as
they now are, by the carts of the coantry, betwe:n these
towns and Drogheda. If the branch only were made, a
reasoeable accommodation for passengers to Dublin, and
the best accommodation for goods traffic to the nearest
sea-port, would exist.
We have very great doubts that the proposed line
from Dublin to Cavan would be at all remunerative.
We think that the branch line from Rolls to Drog-
heda, in connexion with the main line from Dublin to
Drogheda, might be, to certain degree, remunerative,
and it would be efficiently worked.
With reference to this subject we beg to repeat what
we stated in our report on the Kentish and South-
Eastern Railway. schemes.
" An established Company, which has a valuable pro-
perty and large available income independent of the
new scheme, can, of coure, oiler a guarantee for the
fulfilment of all that it undertakes to accomplish greatly
superior to that of any new Company, however
respectable.
" This consideration derives great weight from the
experience which has been already afforded of the
failure of many new Companies to accomplish the ob •
jeets for which they were incorporated. We need only
refer to the instances of the Eastern Counties Com-
pany, which was incorporated as a line from London to
Norwich, and has never yet been carried beyond
Colchester; of the Northern and Eastern, which fOr
many years stopped short of Cembridge ; and of the
Great North of England, which abandoned a portion of
its line between Darlington and Newcastle.
" The traffic of a system of lines connected with one
another can always be worked more economically and
conveniently under one uniform management than by
independent companies."
" An established company can always, if so disposed,
offer guarantees and advantages for a greater extent of
railway than the new company; viz., for the existing as
well is the projected lines. When the existing company
is already in possession of the principal trunk of the
district, the advantage of securing such guarantees for
the whole system, rather than only for a small portion
of it, is rendered more apparent.
Though the Dublin and Drogheda Railway has not
been open for any length of time, the traffic has been
conducted in a satisfactory manner; great accommodation
has been given to the rublic, and the fares charged have
been very low.
A disregard of the interests of railway companies al-
ready established in Ireland, and of the capital invested
in them, would give a great shock to the confidence in
the security of the investment, which is now for the first
time operating to induce persons both in Ireland and
England to embark in railway projects in Ireland.
We therefore submit that there are strong public
grounds for preferring the Kells branch of the Dublin
and Drogheda Railway to the Great North Western
Railway scheme.

NEN6-if-Z-Rb ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY.-
ENNISKILLEN AND DUNDALK RAILWAY.

These two Railways are nearly identical from Ennis-
killen as far as Clones, where they diverge ; from
thence,
Ist. The Enniskillen Railway Company propose to
carry their line through Monaghan and Armagh to meet
the Ulster Extension in that city, and from Armagh to
continue the line to Newry. We may term this, for
brevity and distinction, the Newry scheme.
2d. The Enniskillen and Dendalk Company propose
to go in almost a straight directiorte Dundalk, by New-
bliss and Castle Blaney, connecting Monaghan by a
branch with the main line at Castle Blaney ; and this
project we may call the Dundalk Scheme.
In judging of the merits of these two schemes, we
must repeat, that throughout Ireland passenger traffic
has converged towards Dublin ; it is clearly shown on
the Commissioners' traffic map, and the reason obviously
is, besides that city being the capital, it has afforded the
shortest and most frequent communication with England.
On the other hand, goods and produce are generally
sent to the nearest seaport for shipment.
While the map referred to shows the passenger traffic
between Enniskillen and Dublin to be more than that
between Enniskillen and Belfast, and Newry and Dun-
dalk together, it also shows that these three last-men-
tioned towns have drawn all the goods traffic, within a
reasonable circuit, to themselves, instead of its going to
the metropolis ; and since 1837, when the map was made,
this has been more decidedly the case.
The great object, therefore, to be attained is to give
to the north and north west of Ireland such railway ac-
commodation as shall, at the smallest outlay, provide fur
the combined transit of passengers and gcods towards
Dublin and towards the east coast.

In considering these schemes we suppose that the line
from Cavan to Dublin will net be made, and that com-
plete and direct communication between Dublin, Dun-
dalk, Newry, and Portadown, will be established by the
construction of the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway.
The Newryfscheme opens outlets for the produce of
the county of Fermanagh and the north of the county of
Monaghan, by the ports of Belfast and Newry, and gives
a very direct communication between Armagh and
Dublin for passengers ; but if it be.carried into effect,
to the exclusion of the Dundalk scheme, the passenger
transit of the North Western counties towards Dublin
will be circuitous, and the county of Fermanagh will
be barred from its nearest port, which is Dundalk.
On the other hand, if the Dundalk scheme only be
adopted, the produce of Fermanagh and the north-weq
could not reach Belfast except by a circuitous, and there-
fore expensive, route, and consequently would be con-
fined to Dundalk for its outlet ; though passengers
towards Dublin would be carried more directly by it than
by the Newry scheme, which would necessarily take
them round by Armagh. The Newry scheme leaves
Monaghan without access to Dundalk, except by Armagh
and Newry, and the Dundalk scheme cuts it off from
Belfast, except by a circuitous route. The branch from
Monaghan to Castle Blaney, as proposed by the Dundalk
party, is objectionable from its direction, because it would
only serve the, town of Monaghan. The portion of the
Newry scheme between Armagh and Newry is objec-
tionable, as it would not only be difficult of construction,
and very costly, but it would prove a competing line
with so much of the Dublin and Belfast Junction as will
he made between Newry and Portadowr. Moreover,
the traffic is doubtful ; and we believe that, if the line
were made, it would only produce the effect of dividing
bet men both the traffic which is not likely to be more
than would afford remuneration to one line only.

It is necessary here to notice the proposal of the
Ulster Railway Company to complete their line froth
Portadown to Armagh. In the year 1836 they obtained
their Act for the whole line bets een Belfast and Ala
magh ; but owing, to circumstances which it is not our
province to enter into, soceeded from Belfast no further
than to Portadown. A new survey has since been made;
various alterations and improvements have been effected
on the original plan ; and as Parliament *has. already
sanctioned the general proposition of making such a line,
we cannot doubt that what the Ulster Company desire to
obtain will now be granted.
It being clear that these projects possess within them-
selves elements to form a comprehensive and complete
scheme' for supplying the district with abundant Rail-
way communication, by combining those parts which
are manifestly useful, to the exclusion of these which we
have stated to be objectionable, we have, after much de-
liberation, decided on recommending for the considera-
tion of Parliament a general measure which shall be
adapted to thecircumstances of the district, and at the
same time be based on the best portions of the two pro-
jects in question.
In order to give to the inland counties an access to the
important town and port of Belfast, it is necessary to re-
tain .so much of the Newry scheme as will accomplish
this purpose ; and to supply the means of transit of goods
and agricultural produce to Dundalk, as well as of pas •
sengers to Dublin, it is necessary to retain much of the
Dundalk scheme ; while at the same time due regard
must be had to the convenience of the town of Newry,
which, though situated on the projected line of the 13e1-
feet Junction Railway, cannot be omitted in arrange-
ments which will materially affect its commercial pros-
perity. •
We are therefore of opinion, that this general measure
might .be carried out in the following manner :
Both Companies to combine in constructing, and after-
wards in working, the line fram Enniskillen to Clones ;
but as the portions of the two schemes between Ennis-
killen and Clones are not exactly the same, that one of
the two which on the whole appears to be the best, to be
selected for this purpose.
Tho Newry and Enniskillen Company to make their
line from Clones through Monaghan to Armagh, there to
join the Ulster Extension Railway, and so give free and
direct communication to Belfast and Enniskillen and the
surrounding country. -
The Enniskillen and Dundalk Company to make their
line from Clones to Dundalk, so that the latter shall be
available as a port, and so that the passenger traffic to
Dublin from Enniskillen, and places to the nerth and
west of if, shall have the opportunity of coming on the
Belfast Junction Railway, at Dundalk, and thereby reach

As regards the junction, of the two lines at Dundalk
and access to the town of Newry, such accommodation
to be given to the ' traffic to Newry, both by the Belfast
Junction Company and tho Enniski!len and Dundalk
Company, Wale nature of the ground and the circum-
stances of the respective lines may admit O.
We do not thick it-would be prudent, ruder existing
circumstances, to recommend the construction of a greater
extent of railway than is comprised in the above
measure.

The last scheme, as a Whole, appears to'us to be the
best which may be proposed ; and we have every reason
to-believe that the different parties will join in carrying
it into effect. We are of opinion that these parties will
arrange terms for this purpose between thems,elves which
-may be conducive to their respective interests, and which
will be such as shall not militate against the public
convenience. • _ .