The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-24 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER AND LEEDS RAILWAY.
STATE OF THE WORKS.
The works upon this important line are now in a state of
great forwardness. Between Littleborough (up to which
point, the road is now opened from Manchester) and the
Summit Tunnel a distance of 1- miles, all the permanent
rails are, with the exception of a few yards, laid down, and
the road completed.
From the west end of the Tunnel to Hebden Bridge the
works are the heaviest on the line, containing the great Tun-
nel itself and some smaller ones, several viaducts, and some
deep cuttings and embankments. The latter have been im-
peded by the continual wet vreatheqf the pist season, but
the viaducts, other masonry and tunnels, are in a very for-
ward state.• Of the Summit Tunnel 1,842 yards are already
executed, leaving 1018 yards to complete the entire work,
and from the progress making, there is, we believe, little
doubt of its being completed in November next. The other
short tunnels are also well advanced, and are all expected to
be finished as early as that period.
With respect to the remaining portion of the line between
Hebden Bridge and Normanton, where it joins the North
Midland Railway—a distance of 27} miles—the principal
works consist of ten bridges of from two to six arches each,
over the crossings of the River Calder, the Sowerby and
Elland tunnels, and some extensive cuttings and embank-
ments at Mythohn Royd, Copley, Elland, Cooper Bridge,
Horbury, and Kirkthorpe. Five of the bridges are nearly
finished, the arches being turned, and only the parapet walls '
required to complete them. Three more are built up above
the water level, and nearly ready for the centreing, and the
remaining two are above the water level, with the exception
of a pier in each, so that the principal difficulties of these
works may be said to be overcome. Considerable delay has
been created in the construction of the bridges at Cooper
Bridge and Kirkthorpe by the companies navigating the
river, otherwise they would have been in a much more for-
ward state. The Sowerby Tunnel is in length 638 yards, of
which only 88 yards remain to be completed. Of the Elland
Tunnel, 410 yards in length, only 100 yards remain unfinished.
The progress of the embankments is very satisfactory, ex-
cept at Cooper Bridge and Kirkthorpe, where impediments
have arisen in the construction of the bridges, over which
earth for embanking has to be carried, and which will prevent
the completion at Cooper Bridge until the end of August,
dnd at Kirkthorpe until November next. As the latter work
is below Wakefield, it will not, however, delay the completion
of the whole length between Hebden Bridge and Wakefield,
which is expected to be accomplished early in September
next.

The stations for the reception of goods at Manchester and
Littleborough are completed, and that at Rochdale is in pro-
gress.

BIRKENHEAD AND CHESTER RAILWAY.

We are glad to witness the rapid progress of the works
on this line of railway, the opening of which during the
ensuing summer will afford so great an addition to the fund
of amusement and pleasurable recreation, which Liverpool,
during that season, affords to her numerous visitors. It is
worth the consideration of those who wish to form an esti-
mate of the profit likely to be derived by the proprietors of
this railway, that it is the only line out of Liverpool which
presents scenery worth visiting, and which is likely to be
resorted to by its " tired denizens" for a passing day's en-
joyment. Before many months are over we expect to hear
" a trip to Chester" spoken of with as little concern as a
sail to Egremont or New Brighton, and have no hesitation
in believing that the proportion of increase upon the present
passenger traffic will very far surpass the calculations of its
projectors, or the anticipations of the public.
Let us, however, suggest to the directors the advantage
they will derive from adopting a moderate scale of fares,
and adopting the plan of the directors of the Leeds and
Manchester line, with respect to the establishment of an
additional or third-class train, for the accommodation of the
poorer description of travellers. In many instances a dif-
ference of sixpence will decide the question of journey or no
journey; and upon a short line like this, with its favourable
gradients and light cost of construction, a few additional
passengers will add little or nothing, beyond the duty paid
to government, to the expenses of a train.

GOVERNMENT DUTY ON RAILWAY PASSEN-

GERS.

We have on a previous occasion called the attention of
railway companies to the inequality with which this tax
presses on themselves and the public. On some lines which
charge the minimum rate of toll this tax is felt more, of course,
than upon our leading railways ; but on all we think the pre-
sent mode of levying it is impolitic, both as regards the inte-
rests of the revenue and of the community.
Our attention has been recalled to this subject by an ably
drawn up statement appended to the report of the Leeds and
Manchester Railway Company, (a portion of which we ex-
tract at foot) from which it appears that the duty paid by
that company during four months, was, for first class pas-
sengers 2i per cent. upon the fares, for second class passen-
gers 5 per cent., and for third class passengers lot per cent.
Hence it must be evident that although railway companies
may sufficiently appreciate the advantage of affording the
accommodation of low fares to thelumbler portion of their

rp4tsPqggrq, Whielk the experience , the Leeds Railway suf-,
,Aciently illustrates, this tax places a limit beyond which the
advantages3,qually.of the public and the company shall not
extend:',flA Hi/

APPENDIX OF TRAFFIC UPON THE LEEDS AND
- MANCHESTER RAILWAY.
Received for Parcels, &c., for six months .. £756 ss. 3d.
Received for Passengers or six months, £17,823 14s. 2d.
Passengers in six months, of which only 244,500 arrived
at, or left Manchester, the remaining 101,912 being local
traffic
Miles travelled in six months

Duty paid to Government in six months, £1,417 13s. 111 d.
Days for running Trains in six months
Average number of Passengers per day during the six
months
Average number of miles travelled per day during the six
months *
Average duty per day during six months .. Os. 2•25 d.
Average receipt per day for Parcels, Trucks, &c., during
the six months
Average receipt per day for Passengers during the six
months £loo 13s. 11•69 d.

Average distance travelled by each Passenger during the
six months 7'Blm.
Average receipt from each Passenger during the six months,
which is at the rate of 1.56 d. per mile
Cash received for First Class Passengers during four
months, which averages per day £lO Bs. 5•69 d., £1,302 19s. 6d.
Number of First Class Passengers during four months,
which averages per day 63
Average of First Class Passengers per day during four
months
Average for each First Class Passenger during the four
months 3s 3.69 d.
Cash received for Second Class Passengers during four
months, which averages £26 12s 7.06 d. per day, £3,278 14s
Number of Second Class Passengers during four
months
Average of Second Class Passengers per day during four
months
Average for each Second Class Passenger during four
months is 7.63 d.
Cash received for Third Class during four months, which
averages per day £57 13s. 3d...
Number of Third Class Passengers during four
months
Average number of Passengers per day during the four
months
Average of each Third Class Passenger 9.44d.
No. of Trains in six months
Average Passengers to each Train during the six
moths

It has been intimated to the Directors of the Midland
Counties' Railway by the Postmaster-General, that the mails
will be transmitted by this line wi and after the 6th of next
month.—Railway Times.

WEEKLY RETURN OF TRAFFIC ON RAILWAYS.
(From the Railway Magazine.)

Passen- Cash. P.mile P.mile Passeng.
NAME. gers. pr.wk. p. day. per day.
X. X. X.
Birmingham — 12489 111 16
South Western --- 2300 391 5/-
Great Western .. 2261 761 11
Grand Junction 7510 771- 11
Birmg. & Derby — 708 181 2
Greenwich 23021 798 2091 30 3289
Manchester &Leeds 11223 799 59 81 1603
Croydon 7338 459 431 6* 1048
York &N. Midland 2648 386 261 4 378
Midland Counties 2BOO 271 174 21 401
Glasgow & Ayr 1430 561 5t 1 238
Eastern Counties 4102 386