The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-07 00:00:00

the City Walls, a few hundred yards from the present Railway
Station. It will, however, communicate with the Great North of
England, at. York—the North Midland, near Normanton—the Leeds
and Manchester, at Wakefield—and the Sheffield and Manchester,
at Sheffield—thereby completing the chain of Railway communica-
tion between Liverpool and Boston.
With reference to the schemes projected as rival Lines to the Lon-
don and York, the accompanying Table of Distances will explain
their relative length, and show that the London and York is by far
the shortest (except in the comparison of mileage with the Direct
Northern, upon the Trunk Line, between London and York). For
the entire trade of the district, the London and York is still shorter
than the Direct Northern. It runs directly from the agricultural
districts to the manufacturing markets and coal field ; whilst the
Direct Northern has no such connexion, except by the circuitous
route of the York and North Midland Lines. It also better suits the
trade to the Southern market in London, because it extends through
Peterborough directly into the heart of the feeding and corn-producing
district, whilst the Direct Northern passes away to the West. As
far, therefore, as the trade and supply of coal to the district is con-
cerned, the London and York has the entire superiority.
Even as a Main Trunk between London and York, though it is (as
has been carefully ascertained) seven miles (but not more than seven
miles) longer than the Direct Northern, yet it would work its trains
from London to York more expeditiously than its rival, from the cir.
munstance of its having no drawbridge to pass, whilst the Direct
Northern has two such bridges ;—and also from its running through
almost all the towns of the district, needing only two branches--
whilst the Direct Northern, passing at a distance from nearly every
town, would require eight branches, varying from one to ten miles in
length. The time lot by passing two open bridges (to say nothing of
the danger) would be more than that necessary to run four miles ;
and ever, branch involving at the junction, either a change of car-
riages and luggage, or the taking on of fresh carriages, causes a &lay
seldom so little as five minutes : (practically felt at the Normal don
and Masbro' Midland Stations, at the Rugby, and every other Sta-
tion where lines meet). The time consumed in passing a first -class
station where ro branch joins, is not half that interval; and the loss
of two-and-a-half minutes upon each of the fix additional branches
of the Direct Northern, would be sufficient for running the whole
seven miles. But if four miles be deducted for the drawbridges, the
loss of one minute at each of the six junctions would more than com-
pensate for the difference of mileage.
As a Trunk Railway, therefore, without regard to the trade of the
district, the London and York would be the safer and more expedi-
tious of the two.

It is needless, in the present state of public feeling against the an-
noyance and delays caused by short branches, to add, that every town
within the district is strongly opposed to any Line which does not pass
immediately through it.
With reference to the other rival lines—one by Cambridge direct to
Lincoln and thence direct to York—the other from Cambridge by Ely
and the coast by Boston, Lincoln, Doncaster, and South Milford to
York—the subjoined Table of Distances shows the first to be 14 miles
and the second 35 miles longer than the London and York, whilst
neither of them afford anything like equal accommodation to the trade
or the districts ; and both of them leave out of their consideration the
towns and district of Huntingdon, Stamford, Grantham, ICewark, and
RetfOrd, and abandon the county of Bedford.
These Lires, however, are so well known to be purely obstructive
Lines, devised by a combination of existing Railway interests, to pre-
vent the making of any new Line between London and York, which
would be more convenient to the Public than the Western Lines
through Derby, and the schemes are so devoid of public sympathy or
support, that it may be unnecessary further to remark upon them.
The Distances marked are all by Rail, excepting :where "road,"
is mentioned, and in such cases the total distance includes the road.