The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-24 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

BIRMINGHAM.—We understand that the London and
Birmingham, tinder the superintendence of a member of
the Board of Trade, are having all their second-class
carriages altered, with a view to the greater comfort and
accommodation of the passengers.
LANCASTER AND CARLISLE.—This Company hale
completed the additional agreement with the Lancaster
and Preston for the transfer of the latter line, in consi•
deration of five per cent. on the capital of 400,0001., with
an option of amalgamation, or one third share of the
profits above five per cent. All incumbrances, including
the lease to the Lancaster Canal, and the debt of 113,0002,
go with the property. The Lancaster and Carlisle is
progressing favourably, and the contracts have been made
on advantageous terms. Midland Counties Herald.
SALOP AND NEWTOWN.—A public meeting of the
inhabitants of Bishop's Castle has been held
in the Town-hall, for the purpose of petition-
ing the Board of Trade against the intended
branch line from Salop to Newtown, via Melverley
and Welshpool. The Rev. F. Moore took the chair, and
it was resolved to forward a memorial to the Board of
Trade, explaining the injurious position which the inha-
bitants of that extensive district would be placed in by
the carrying out of the proposed line. The memorial
states that a shorter, less expensive, and more beneficial
line might be taken between Salop and Newtown, byway
of Minsterley Valley, with a single line of five miles to
Welshpool, which would include the traffic of the line at
present adopted by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham,
and would greatly benefit, in a commercial and agri-
cultural point of view, a district producing coal, exten-
sive lead mines, and various manufactures, forming a
remunerative trade but which the line at present selected
by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham entirely excluded
from the advantages of railway communication. The
line adopted by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham, be-
tween Salop and Newtown, via Melverley, the memorial
further. states, is several miles longer than the more
direct line by way of Minsterley Valley, which would
subject the inhabitants of Montgomery, Newtown,
Llanidloes, and the districts of North Wales, to a per-
petual and unnecessary tax from the length of the line.
The shorter line would pass through coalfields, and
supply a large part of Shropshire, Montgomeryshire,
Radnorshire, and Cardiganshire, with coal cheaper than
at resent obtainable.
VV ORCES7R AND TRING AND RUGBY AND OXFORD.
—The inhabitants of Oxford have passed resolutions in
favour of this line, which is proposed to be made by the
London and Birmingham, and have rejected that pro-
posed by the Great Western from Oxford to Worcester.
The line proposed by the London and Birmingham
leaves Tring, uniting with the Aylesbury Railway near
Cheddington, then running to Bicester in a direct line,
crossing the Woodstock and Cheltenham roads, and ap-
proaching the Great Western station within 150 yards.
The Oxford and Rugby proceeds to Bicester and Ban-
bury, and enters the Birmingham Railway two miles
from the Rugby station, thereby giving the mest direct
communication with the north. From this line, a little
beyond Banbury, it is proposed to carry another to pass
through Pershore, across the Birmingham and Glouces-
ter, to Worcester. The line then adopts the course of
the Severn, and goes to Wolverhampton, Dudley, and
other important towns in that direction—all of which
will have a direct communication with Oxford, and
the line comes in contact with Aylesbury, Bicester, and
Stratford-upon-Avon. The linewill give accommodation
to a district containing a population of 140,000.
COCKERMOUTH AND WORRINGTON.—The object of
this undertaking is to connect Cockermouth and districts
adjoining with the town and harbour of Workington,
and the port of Maryport and Whitehaven, by means
of the Whitehaven Junction Railway, which it will join
at Workington. The Maryport and Carlisle Railway,
now nearly completed, and the projected Furness Rail-
way, will extent this communications to Carlisle, New-
castle, Scotland, &c., in one direction, and to Lancashire
and the south generally, in the other. Another object,
and the one from which theprincipal revenue is expected,
is to open out more extensively the valuable lime and
coalfields through which the railway will pass. These
minerals are already worked to considerable extent, both
for local demand and for shipment to Ireland and Scot-
land ; and it is confidently expected that with the ad-
vantages of railway transit, the present consumption,
particularly for shipment, will be materially increased.
Mr. Dixon has surveyed the line, and the result of his
survey and estimate confirms the opinion originally
given by Mr. Stephenson, that a single line of railway,
with the needful side branches, may be made for the
sum of 8,0001. per mile, including the carrying stock.
The length of the line will be nearly nine miles. The com-
mittee have also ascertained the traffie now existing along
the line, an taking the result as an average for the year,
the prospects of the undertaking may be fairly calcu-
lated on as follows :—Present traffic, 11,705 Z 19s. ; de-
duct working expenses (40 per cent.), 4,681/. 19s. ; total
7,024/, leaving a profit of 8f per cent. on capital of
80,000/. The preliminary steps have been taken for ob-
taining an Act of Parliament during the next session: as
the works along the line are of a very light character, it
is expected the whole may be completed at an early
period. Of the proposed capital of 80,0001., a consider-
able portion has already been subscribed by parties
locally interested, and the deposit of 1Z per share paid
agreeably to the standing orders of Parliament. The
future call will be made at intervals of not less than three
months, and in sums of not more than Si. per share.”—
Whitehaven Herald.

THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT AND THE SOUTH WALES
RAILWAY.—A deputation from the committee of the
Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway waited last week
on the Duke of Beaufort, at Badminton, on the proposal
of the Great Western Company to carry their South
Wales line over the Severn by two bridges, to be erected
eight miles below Gloucester. The Duke received the
deputation with his usual frankness, stating that he had
been for some time in communication with the Board of
Trade, and that he had on all occasions enforced the ne-
cessity of Gloucester being allowed to remain what it had
all along been, the key of the communication into South
Wales. His Grace, in addition, authorised the deputa-
tion to make use of his name as a member of the provi-
sional committee of the Dean Forest line.—Cheltenham
Examiner.

TIVERTON.—Mr. Brunel is daily expected in Tiverton
to arrange the formation of a branch from the Bristol
and Exeter Railway to that town. The nature of the
ground is favourable, and the scenery of a picturesque
description.
SOUTH DEVON.—This Company, under the advice of
Mr. Brunel, have concluded a contract with Messrs.
Hennett and Co. for the supply of 12,000 tons of cast-
iron pipes for the atmospheric apparatus. This is the
quantity for the entire distance from Exeter to Plymouth,
52 miles, and it is required that sufficient for about 20
miles, the distance from Exeter to Newtown, shall be
furnished and laid, ready for opening this part of the line
for traffic in the ensuing summer.—Exeter Post.
GREAT NORTH OP ENGLAND.—A report has been
very prevalent in York, that it is the intention of the Di-
rectors of this Company to lease their line to the York
and North Midland Railway. We have authority for
stating that there is no foundation whatever for this re-
port. The next dividend will be at the rate of 6 per cent.
—Yorkshireman.

BRIGHTON AND CHICHESTER.—Some of the decisions
of the Board of Trade have excited great astonishment,
but none more so than the rejection of the proposed ex-
tension to Portsmouth of the Brighton and Chichester,
after the unqualified opinion expressed in its favour by
the landowners of West Sussex. It remains, however, to
be seen whether Parliament will sanction the dictum of
the Board of Trade.—Brighton Gazette.
ACCIDENTS.—It is a remarkable fact, that of all the
accidents which have occurred on British railways, not
one has proved fatal to passengers travelling in a first-
class carriage.

SCOTCH LINES.
CALEDONIAN.—At a meeting of the Edinburgh Town-
Council, on Tuesday, a letter was read from Messrs.
Hope and Oliphant, requesting the Council to petition
Parliament in favour of this line. The Lord Provost
said he had reason to know that in a short time the de-
cision of the Committee of the Board of Trade would
be given respecting these lines, and there was reason to
fear that the Edinburgh branch would be omitted. It
was fully expected that the other part of the work—the
line to Glasgow—would be allowed to pass, but there
was some danger of the branch to Edinburgh not passing.
After alluding to the rival lines, and especially to one
by Hawick to Carlisle, he said he believed there was no
security nor any great likelihood that that line would
be carried through ; and suppose it were, it must be
kept in mind that it was but a single line of rails, and
that the curves were so sharp that it would not make a
good railway. It might be supposed that a strong op-
position would be made to this branch by the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway, as it might prove a rival line
to their Glasgow one. Now, if this line had been pro-
posed simply as a rival line to the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow Railway, he would have said that it was not fair ;
but when the line was to be made for another purpose,
altogether, and was made a rival only accidentally, he
did not see why the inhabitants of Edinburgh were to
reject the boon that was offered to them on that account.
If they neither obtained this branch, nor the Hawick and
Carlisle Railway, then people going to Carlisle, to Liver-
pool, or to Manchester, would be compelled to go round
by Glasgow and Kilmarnock, instead of going directly ;
and those coming from the West of England would have
to go all round to Glasgow, and would have no opportu-
nity of coming to Edinburgh except by the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway. There was another considera-
tion. Between Lanark and Glasgow there was a field
of coal of that peculiar description which was used in the
manufacture of gas. It was well known that the present
supply for Edinburgh was nearly exhausted, and that
they had to pay about 225. per ton for the parrot coal.
If they had got access to this coalfield which was sup-
posed to be inexhaustible, it mighi be had for Bs. 6d. or
9s. per ton, and not only would the supply be increased
here, but it might be exported to a great extent.
There was another advantage, which though there was
s differ( nce of opinion about it, he was unwilling
to lose. The Railway Company had agreed if the
inhabitants were so disposed, to allow water to be
brought from the other side of the Pentlands by
the side of their railway, and they had put this into
their Bill, which was certainly worth the while of
the citizens asking for. Under all these circumstances,
he proposed that the Council should petition Parliament
and memoralise the Board of Trade in favour of the
Caledonian Railway, and especially in favour of the
Edinburgh branch of the line. Bailie Mack seconded
this motion, which was opposed by Treasurer Thompson,
who thought the Caledonian would not be for the benefit
of Edinburgh. If it had been a main leading line,
bringing trains into Edinburgh, he could understand it.
It was for this reason the Council had supported the
North British line, which promiLed to be a very valuable
one for the city. He did not think that the difficulties
between Hawick and Carlisle were impracticable, and
hoped the Council would pause before they resolved to
encourage the Caledonian, for the sake of the mere
prospect of a branch to Edinburgh. After some re-
marks from Mr. Macfarlan, Mr. Stott, and others,
Treasurer Thompson withdrew his opposition, and the