The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-05 00:00:00

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east and west through Salisbury and Yeovil, w' branch line,
north and south, draining the traffic from each sideinto t
The leading idea of the Great Western scheme, on the other
hand, is to supply the same district by a coast line to Southampton,
affording, with the Great Western Railway, east and west coin_
municationsalong the boundary lines of the district, with cross line,
between the two, affording north and south communications.
The South-Western, Salisbury line, straightened by the Hook
Pit Deviation, together with the extension from Salisbury to
Yeovil, form the central trunk line of the first system, 'oilier it
would probably have been proposed to complete in a subsequent
session by a line from Yeovil to Exeter; and in connexion with
this trunk it was at first proposed to run a branch nearly at right.
angles from Shaftesbury to Dorchester and Weymouth, which,
however, was subsequently modified into the Salisbury, Dor-
chester, and Weymouth scheme, taking a more direct course
towards London.
The Southampton and Dorchester, in connexion with the por-
tion of the Wilts and Somerset scheme from Weymouth to Brid.
port, constitute the coast line or base of the other scSteme; and the
remaining portion of the Wilts and Somerset scheme, with the
Yeovil branch of the Bristol and Exeter, form a comprehensive
system of north and south communication between this coast line
and the Great Western.
The Reading, Basingstoke, and Hungerford, and Basingstoke arid
Didcot Junction lines are proportions of 'these two great schema's,
which compete with one another for a part of the Berkshire and
Hampshire district, which is to a certain extent isolated from the
main question, and may be considered separately.
It soon became evident to us, from the statements of the
parties, and from the estimates of traffic, that of the two great
schemes above described, one only could be supported by the re-
sources of the district.
The co mst line and ether lines of the Great Western scheme
could only hope to exist by combining with the local traffic such
portions of the traffic towards the metropolis as would be diverted
from them by the construction of a more direct central line; and,
on the other hand, the central line passing through a district com-
paratively destitute of local traffic, could only be supported by
draining into it the whole traffic towards London.
We had, therefore, at the outset to consider which of the two
arrangements appeared, on the whole, to be preferable for public
purposes.
The principal advantage of the South_ Western scheme appeared
to be, that it aflimrded a somewhat shorter communication from the
western counties to London. By this scheme the distance from
Yeovil to London would be about 130 miles, as compared to 142
by the Great Western scheme; from Dorchester to London, 124
miles, as compared to 137, and if continued to Exeter, it is calcu-
lated that about 20 miles would be saved over time ploS ant route by
way of Bristol.
On the other hand, the Great Western scheme affords a very
much better local connexion of the different towns of the district
among themselves, and places them all in railway communication],
not only with London ling the cast, but also with Bath, Bristol, and
the north.
An inspettfeh of the map will show that by this scheme Sou-
tharoplon, Salisbury, Poole, Dorchester, Weymouth, Britiport,
Yeovil, Warminster, Frome, and, ill fact, almost every town of
any importance in the eitensive distrita between the Great Wes-
tern and South-Western Railways, are pisoted on good lines of
communication with one another, with London, pnd with Bristol.
By the South-Western scheme, on the other hant;, no outlet is
afforded towards Bristol or Bath, and of the towns in question some
are entirely omitted, while others only obtain a very circuitous
connexion with one another, while no town or any note except
Shaftesbury is accommodated by the South-Western scheme and
omitted by the other.
From the evidence submitted to us, it appears that a very largre
proportion of the traffic of almost the whale dirtrict in question
flows towards Bath, Bristol, and the north, and that consequently a
scheme of railway communication which afforded no outlet in thatt
direction would be, comparatively speaking, of little value. It
appears, also, from the result of the various public meeting' that
have beer held, and from the different memo: lois that have been
addressed to us, that a very general and decided feeling exists
throughout by far the greater part of the district in question in
favour of the Great Western scheme, as combining the advantages
of local accommodation and of a northern outlet with that of a aid•
ficiently good London communication.
These considerations appear to us, under the peculiar circuits.:
statuses of the case in question, to outweigh the slight advantage in
distance from a few principal points to London ; and accordingly'
we have arrived at the conclusion that the Great Western schersee
is calculated to afford, on the whole,
better accommodation to the':
districts to be supplied than the competing scheme.
The advantages afforded, in a national point of view, by the coast
line, which forms air integral portion of the Great Western scheme,
have been already referrea to in our report on the South-Eastern
district, and constitute, in our opinion, an important additional re.
commendation in favour of this scheme.
When we prooeed to examine the different lines of the two
schemes which are in competition with one another more in detail,
we are confirmed in the preference which, upon general growls:la,
appears to be due to the Great Western scheme.
I. As regards the Berkshire or Newbury district.
The Great Western line runs from Hungerford, through New.:
bury, to Reading, and from Reading to Basingstoke. That of the
South-lArestern Company from Basingstoke to Newbury, and theate
with an alternative branch either to Didcot or Swindon.
The traffic tables submitted to us, as well as the evidence given
before Parliament last year, show that the principal traffic of
Newbury, Hungerford, and the district to be accommodated, is
with London.
The Great Western line, by way of Reading, gist's this traffic
a shorter route of eight miles arid a-half, than the South.Westeru
line by way of Basingstoke.
The Great Western line also affords a direct communication from
Newbury and Hungerford to Reading, Maidenhead, and the dif-
ferent towns along the line of the old Great Western read, with
which the intercourse is considerable.
The South-Western line affords no communication in this direc-
tion, and substitutes for it only a communication towards Basing-
stoke and Southampton, in which direction the traffic is inconsi.
derable, and which Is afforded without any very great circuit by the
Great Western scheme, by way of Reading.
NV,th regard to the north and south communication, the pros-
pect of a connexion being effected between Rugby and Oxford,
leaves no doubt that the communication by way of Oxford is pre-
ferable to that by Swindon, as affording a more direct route not
only to the northern arid north-western, but also to the midland
and north-eastern portions of the kingdom. It is evident also
that there is at present no sufficient traffic to support two lines of
communication to the north, and the advantages of that by Swin-
don are, to a great extent, obtained by the proposed extension of
the Wilts and So r erset line to Salisbury,
We may assume, therefore, that the alternative branch of the
South-Western Company to Swindon is untenable, and that the
comparison lies between their Didcot line and that of the Great
Western Company from Reading to Basingstoke.
The sole advantage of the Didcot line is—that it shortens the
distance from Didcot to Basingstoke (or, in other words, from
north to Southampton) by 51 miles, as compared with the Great
Western route by Reading. But, on the other hand, its gradients
are very inferior, and t involves the construction of 2ti4 miles of
railway, in great part of an expensive character, through a thinly
populated country, while the length of the Great Western Railway
from Reading to Basingstoke is only 15 miles.
Had the through traffic from the north been sufficient in itself
to support a line, much might have been said in favcur of one from
Basingstoke to Didcot on the narrow guage, which would not only
have given the most direct route, but also have afforded a prospect
of attaining an unbroken communication throughont, since in that
case the portion between Oxford and Didcot would alone have
intervened upon the wide guage. But it appears perfectly
well established that there exists at presents no through-traffic
in this direction that could in itself warrant or support a
line of 28 miles from Basingstake to Didcot, and a second
narrow gauge line for 10 miles between Didcot and Oxford.
Such a line would present itself under very different circumstances,
if the traffic towards Southampton should so far increase as to be
capable of supporting it; but in the meantime it is evident that it
could only hope to be supported by the London traffic from the
Newbury district being diverted over it, in the circuitous and in-
convenient direction of Basingstoke.
Conceiving, therefore, this traffic and the connexion with Rea-
ding and the eastern towns to be the paramount objects required
for the accommodation of the district, we are of opinion that the
Great Western scheme, which effects these objects much better arid
more economically, at a comparatively slight sacrifice of distance to
the through.traffic from the north, is preferable to the competing
scheme: nor do we think that this preference would interfere
materially with the construction hereafter of a direct and un-
interrupted narrow-gauge communication between the north and
Southampton, should such appear to be required for the public ac-
commodation, which, however, we do not contemplate as likely to
be the case under existing circumstances.
11. The Wilts and Somerset Line, and Bristol and Exeter
Branch frotn Durston to Yeovil.
These together form a very complete and comprehensive scheme
comprising 143 miles of new railway, for supplying local accom.
modation, and a double communication, towards London and
Bristol, to the principal towns of Wiltshire, Somersetahire, and
Dorsetshire. By combining these objects, and by ensuring uni-
formity and economy of working in connexion with the Great
Western Railway, a sufficient return may be expected to justify
the outlay of capital, which, from the comparatively easy nature of
considerable portions of the line, is estimated not to exceed
1,700,000/.
No portions of this scheme appear to be in direct competition
with any of the lines proposed by the Siuth.Western Company,
none of which supply the main object of a communication towards
Bristol and the north.
As a wh de, the Wilts and Somerset scheme appears a very
useful and complete scheme fur the accommolation of the district
with the exceptiot: of the following points :-
1. The communication afforded from Salisbury, Warminster,
Bradford, and all places north of Yeovil, towarels Mill and Bristol,
is circuitous and imperfect, and it is evident that a communication
in this direction, in addition to that towards Loudon, is required
in order to carry out properly the avowed objects of the undertak-
ing. It has been strongly urged by various local interests, includ-
ing the Chamber of Commerce of Bristol and other public bodies of
that city and of Bath, that the completion of this communication
by a line from Bradford to Bath ought to be insisted on, as a con-
dition of sanctioning the scheme. The promoters state, however,
that great engineering difficulties exist in this direction, and that
it is by no means certain that a better line fur public purposes might
not be found by Fume and Radstock, or in some other direction.
They have voluntarily offered, however, to pledge theinselves, In
any way that Parliament may think fit, to complete the r scheme,
by applying next sessio,i for such line of improve.] communication
towards Bath and Bristol, whether by Bradford or in any other di.
ruction, as upon full inquiry shall appear the best, teatime it to the
Board of Trade, or other authority constituted by Parliament, to
decide, iri case of difference,
which line shall be adopted, and wire-
ther there arc any circumstances that may reasonably require a
suspension of thz. application.
demanded from the Company, and will insure time attainment of the
It appears to us that :his pledge offers all that can be reasonably
public objects which the memorialists have had in view.
The city of Wells and the surrounding district are left with.
out railway communication by the present combluation.
It appears to us very desirable that this object should be attained,
in order to complete the railway communications of the county ;
but at present this could only be done by the sacrifice of objects of
greater importance.
The promoters of the Wilts and Somerset scheme, as well as the
Bristol and Exeter Company, have, however, stated their intern-
ehope,
undertaking would
be jtherefore
thin of examining the Wells district, with a view to extending a
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it
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that
Yeovil is an ;ureteral root of this com
sie, se:Acme of com-
munication, and affords a connexion
between the Bristol Channel,
Devonshire, and Cornwall, and the south coast, arrd coast line from
Dorchester to Southampton.
111. With regard to the lines from Dorchester to South-
ampton and Salisbury.
The general features of these competing lines have been already
described, and the grounds upon which a preference appears to be
due to the former as a better local line, amid , as an integral portion
of a more comprehensive scheme, notwithstanding the advantage
of a somewhat shorter distance to London by the Salisbury line.
It only remains to add, that the SGuthampton fine •xas origi-
nally projected by an independent local ceminit t ea, and adopted by
resolutions passed at county meetings and eublic meetings held at
the principal towns of the district for the purie,se of considering of
the best means of railway communication. It is obviously pref.r.
able to the Salisbury scheme, in a national point of view, as a coast
line, and affords better local accommodation to Wareham, Poole,
Christchurch, and the towns on the coast; it is also of a much less
expensive character, which is a consideration of importance,
as it does not appear that the traffic which may be ex.
pected will be sufficient to afford a fair return upon the larger
capital required for the Salisbury scheme. On the whole, therefore,
we have no difficulty in stating our opinion that of life two com-
peting schemes that from Dorchester to Southampton appears to
us to be preferable.
IV. The remaining lines are, the South-Western Extension,
from Salisbury to Yeovil, and Hook Pit Deviation.
rad the traffic of the district appealed to be Sufficient to sup.

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