The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-23 00:00:00

RAILWAY STREETS.

The question of adapting railway viaducts to street traffic,
so as to improve instead of deteriorate the property they pass
over, and diminish the cost of their construction by the pro-
ceeds of new building frontages, will receive, it is conceived.
a practical solution in the experiment about to be tried on a
grand scale by the Thames Embankment and Railway Junc-
tion Company. The object of this Company is to form a
through communication with the railways entering the me-
tropolis from the east and west, and to connect them, by a rail-
way bridge, with the lines approaching the Thames from the
north and south. One part of this object it is proposed to
effect by a railway embankment between Hunger-
ford-market and Blackfriars-bridge, where the river is
broad and shallow; but it was left open for consideration,
on the formation of the Company, whether the railway, in
passing to the east of Blackfriars-bridge, should continue in
front of the wharves, or, leaving the river at that point,
proceed behind the wharves, in a line parallel with them,
between Thames-street and Cannon-street, to the Blackwall
Railway, at or war the Minories. The latter course has at
last been determined upon, after a careful survey of the two
lines, with a view to their comparative cost, the wharf line
involving expensive constructions, and unlimited demands
for compensation, and the upper line a large original outlay,
but a certain return of about two-thirds the amount by the
sale of ground rents.
It is intended, therefore, to form between the Minories and
Blackfriars-bridge—through a mass of property, some por-
tions of it costly, but the greater part -of so inferior a cha-
racter that it is styled the " back slums" of the City—a
new street, nearly as wide and as straight as Oxford. street,
with a railway viaduct for atmospheric carriages in the
middle, constructed with cast iron girders, supported by co-
lumns along the side pavement, resembling those of the
Quadrant. A model of the viaduct and proposed new
buildings on either side, has been prepared for public inspec
tion, and Messrs. Bridges and Mason, the solicitors of the
Company, have already commenced serving the necessary
notices for the property to be purchased.
The new street, which will give a frontage to Doctors'-
commons, and open a view of St. Paul's from the south,
will, in connexion with the embankment line, if carried out
as intended, form one of the main arteries of the metropolis.
It would appear, as described, to take the most direct as
well as the most agreeable course from east to west, even
for foot passengers ; end passengers by the railway, we are
told, will reach the Bank in five minutes from Charing-cross,
or the sea at Southend within an hour and a half.
The chief City station will be immediately at the back of
the statue of King William, ficing London-bridge ; but it is
intended to have a station for omnibus traffic every five
hundred yards throughout the line. The architectural ele-
vations of the railway embankment, in reference especially to
its ornamental effect in passing the Temple-gardens, will be
supplied by Mr. Barry.
DURHAM AND SUNDERLAND.—On Monday the proprie-
tors of this undertaking met, Pursuaot to adjournment, in
the Commisioners' room at the Exchange-buildings, Sunder-
land. Mr. C. Bramwell, Chairman of the Directors, presided,
but in consequence of the offer made by Mr. Hudson, on
behalf of the Newcastle and Darlington Railway Com-
pany, to purchase the line, and a special meeting
having been called for the 3d of November to