The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-08 00:00:00

The object of this undertaking is to complete the railway commu-
nication from the British Channel to the North Sea, by constructing
a line of railway between Cheltenham and Northampton, thus open-
ing the whole resources of South Wales, and the West of England, to
the North-Eastern and Eastern Counties, in the most direct and
shortest course, and in a line with the existing traffic. _

On reference to the map of England, It will be seen that by the
present railways, and others in the course of formation, all the traffic
from Lincoln, Boston, Wisbeach, King's Lynn, Norwich, and Yar-
mouth, will be brought to Northampton ; and, on the west side of
England, the railways from Cornwall, Plymouth, Exeter, and Bristol,
and also from Fishguard, Milford Haven, Swansea, Merthyr, New-
port, Hereford, and all the south of Wales, will bring the traffic up
to Gloucester and Cheltenham; and, therefore, the importance of
connecting these towns by this railway is evident.
This railway will commence at Cheltenham, and proceed by or
near Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the Wold, to Banbury (where it will
join the Oxford and Rugby line), and from thence to the London and
Birmingham Railway, near Blisworth, there joining the Northamp-
ton and Peterborough Railway.
It will be seen, therefore, that this railway will form a main trunk
line from the east to the west of England, and the south of Wales;
and will connect the ports of Boston, Wisheach, King's Lynn, and
Yarmouth, with the ports of Gloucester and Bristol, by the shortest
possible course, and afford great facilities for communication with the
south of Ireland.
It will be the shortest and most direct route from all the northern
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it is expected all the Post-office Packets to India, America, and the
West Indies will start, as soon as the Irish Railways are completed.l
It will open the important copper, tin, iron, and coal districts of
Cornwall, South Wales, and Gloucestershire, as well with the mid-
land counties as with the eastern ports of England, for export to the
northern countries of Europe.
The immense exports and imports to and from the'south of Wales,
and this country, to the north of Europe, would, by being more expe-
ditiously and effectively carried on this line, traverse it in preference
to the risk and uncertainty of a sea voyage round the coast ; and the
small cost of the construction of this line, and of those in connexion
with it, will cause merchandise, minerals, and coals to be carried by
it at very low rates, and consequently a very large traffic will be
created in the carriage of Welsh and Forest of Dean coals, the large
iron produce of Wales, and the cloth goods of Gloucestershire, along
this line to the eastern and midland counties, and to the eastern ports
for export to the northern ports of Europe.
A great portion of the large quantities of corn now exported from
the eastern ports, must find its way along this line to the western
counties, and the produce of the south of Ireland will be brought by
it to the eastern counties.

.....
The proposed railway is much required by the local traffic of the
populous districts through which it passes, and which will be found
in itself sufficient to afford a fair return, but the vast aegmentation of
revenue which must arise from the through traffic, on the completion
of this, the only remaining link, in the chain of railway communica-
tion across the country, must be of. an extensive character, and will
afford a most remunerative return on the capital invested.

.1.• • • ,• ••• •••
The traffic on the Northampton and Peterborough line, since its
opening, has very far exceeded the expectations of the Directors of
that Company.
There are no engineering difficulties, and the question as to width
of gauge is reserved for future consideration.
' Power will be taken in the Act to allow interest at the rate of 41.
per cent. on the sums paid.
Applications for prospectuses and shares to be made to the
Secretary, 78, King William-street, City, London, and to the
following sharebrokers :—Messrs. R. Sutton, Gribble, and Sutton,
22, North-side, Royal Exchange ; Messrs, Barclay and Mercier,
Shorter's-court, Throgmorton-street, London ; Messrs. Iloughiand
and Leese, 51, Ring-street, Manchester ; John Wills, Esq., Royal
Bank-buildings, Liverpool ; Messrs. Wellbeloved and Oastler,
Leeds ; Messrs. Edwards and Son, Bristol ; I. R. Lane, Esq., 131r-
mingham ; Messrs. Garton and Wright, Sheffield ; and J. G. Ker-
shaw, Huddersfield.