The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-06 00:00:00

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT OF THE

BOARD OF TRADE.

egroirr OF TWIS RAILWAY DEPARTMENT OF THE BOARD Or TRADE
ON THE LONDON, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMPTON, AND ON
THE BIRMINGHAM AND lIIRRWSBURY DISTRICTS.
Railway Department, Board of Trade, Whitehall, Feb. 28.
The Board constituted by 'Minute of the Lords of the Committee
of Privy Council for Trade, for the transaction of railway business,
having had under consideration the different schemes deposited
with the Railway Department for extending railway communisa-
tion between London, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, and in the
district intermediate between the London and Birmingham and
Great Western Railways, and also, in connexion with the above,
the schemes for extending railway communication between Bir-
mingham and Shrewsbury, have determined on submitting the fol.
lowing report thereon for the consideration of Parliament.
'llls object of the first class of schemes in question is to supply
railway communication to the great mining district of Staffordshire,
lying south of Wolverhampton, to the towns of Kidderminster,
Stourbridge, Stourport, Worcester, arc., and to the district north
of Oxford, intermediate between the Great Western and London
and Birmingham Railways.
For this purpose two competing schemes are proposed ; one,
which is promoted by the London and Birmingham Company,
comprises a line from Rugby to Oxford, and another from Wolver-
hampton, through Worcester and Banbury, to join the London
and Birmingham line at Tring; the other scheme consists of a line
from Oxford to Rugby, which is proposed to be made by the Great
Western Company ; and of another line from Oxford to Worcester
and Wolverhampton, which is undertaken by an independent Corn.
pany, but in connexion with the Great Western Company, and
which must be considered as forming, with the Oxtord and Rugby
line, one scheme, competing with the former.
For the sake of brevity we shall distinguish these as the " Lon.
don and Birmingham or Tring Scheme," and the " Great Western
or Oxford Scheme." Their general direction will be easily under-
stood by ref, rence to the accompanying map.
In their general features and objects the two schemes are so
nearly indentical that the two manifestly cannot stand together. A
further scheme for the accommodation of the country between
Worcester and Wolverhampton, was proposed by the Birmingham
and Gloucester Company, but it is understood that arrangements
have been made by which this scheme is withdrawn in favour of
the London and Birmingham scheme, to which it was moreover
inferior in several important respects, so that we may consider the
question as reduced to one of competition between the schemes of
the two great companies.
The first point is, whether a sufficient public case can be estab.
lished to justify the construction of any railway at all throughout
the districts in question. As regards the South Staffordshire dis-
trict, this point has been disputed by various canal interests, who
urge that the district is already sufficiently well supplied by water
communication, and that the introduction of railway s, by destroy-
ing the resources and crippling the efficiency of such water com-
munications, will be productive of injury rather than of benefit to
the public. Various special reasons have been urged in support of
this view, more especially with reference to the mineral district of
which Dudley may be considered as the centre. It is said that
the Birmingham Canal Company have, at a great expense, created
a very complete and efficient system of water communication
throughout this district; that a right is reserved of making
branch canals to all mines and works within certain limits,
which right would be to a certain extent defeated by running a
railway parallel to the existing canal, to the injury both of the
Canal Company, and of the owners of the mines and works so
cut off; that the management and charges of the Canal Company
have always been of the most liberal description; and finally, that
awing to the peculiar nature of the district, in which great exca-
vations have been made for mining purposes, railways cannot be
carried through it without danger.
. It will be readily conceded that the importance of the district in
,question is such as to entitle it to require the best means of com-
munication, whether by canal or railway. Between Wolverhamp.
ton and Stourbridge there are at present about one hundred blast
furnaces in work, producing about 468,000 tons of pig iron annu-
Inally. order
ironatene, and other raw materials are consumed,
which are raised from the mines of the district, and transported to
lime, to produce this quantity, nearly 4,000,080 tons of
coals,
the various fUrnaces,
forges, and founderies.
The export of iron from the district is about 240,000 tens
annually, in addition to:large quantities:of heavy hardwares, tin plates,
glass, and other goods. The export of coal is also very large, and
might be greatly augnrented by increased facilities of communica.
population of the respective towns and
tion.
ton and Worcester, which would be
The population, depending for support en the iron-works, mines,
Worcester.
and manufactories of the district, is estimated at not less than
be mentioned Kidd.ewrmithinisttsere,xatenplsaivcee
2$0,000'; and twheotiovtaerlhamp
benefited by the proposed railway semlnunication, is believed to
exceed 300,000.
Among these towns may
of considerable manufacturing importance, end great Intercourse
ictcleibo w
will
also
lead, in
all probability, to extensions into the fertile agricultural district
saltwitnhwdeoiregkoesrn;esntsruttpocuatrtirobsnriodofgfteah,ersaktioliigarpodyolindn
tjahnDreids
direction
on the west of the Severn, towards Leominster and Ludlow.
The claim of the district, therefore, to the most improved merle
of communication can hardly be disputed; and whatever claims
canal Companies may have from benefits previously conferred,
or from past liberality of management, such claims cannot be con-
sidered by us in any other light than those of other private inte-
rests, unless in so far as they may be based upon public considera-
tions.
Our report will not, in any way, prejudice or affect the right of
those canal Companies tl have their vested interests, if any, care-
fully considered by the Legislature.
Upon public grounds, therefore, we have merely had to consider
the allegation that the interests of the district will not be promoted
by the introduction of railways, and that railways cannot be con.
strutted through it without danger.
Upon the first point it seems sufficient to refer to the unanimous
opinion of the parties Principally interested, and who have the best
opportunities of judging of the effects likely to follow from the in-
' troduction of railways. The only difthrence of opinion has arisen
from the anxiety of the parties to obtain a railway of some descrip-
tion or other, Web bas led them to support different competing