The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-05-20 00:00:00

FIFE JUNCTION RAILWAY

CIONNECTING the County of FIFE with the Counties on
the North side of the TAY, on the one, a, and those on
the South side of the FORTH on the other tus forming clink
of union between the Ferries on the Fort and the 'Fay, by con-
necting the Dundee and Newtyle Rai -v, with its branches to
Cupar and Quintals, the Dundee F .fir, and Arbroath Rail-
ways, present, bef• ire Parliament, and at their intended exten-
sion of them to Kirriernuir, Brechin and Montrose, as well as
the proposed Railway from Dundee to Perth, with the great
Railways on the South of the Forth, particularly the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway—the Edinburgh, Haddington, and Dun-
bar Railway—the Edinburgh, Leith, and Newhaven Railway,
and the Edinburgh, Dalkeith, and Leith Railway ; and being
a branch from the great Trunk Railway proposed to be ex-
tended from London by York to the Scottish metropolis.
The advantages of a Railway connecting together districts of
the country so very populous and advancing, and passing
through a highly cultivated line, fertile in its agrieultura4.and
abounding in its mineral productions, are too apparent to re-
quire to be commented on.
Indeed it is difficult to select a portion of country of equal ex-
tent in the kingdom, which presents so many facilities and ad-
vantages for a railway communication as the country betwixt
the Fife and Tay ferries. The intercourse between Fife and the
Lothians on the south, and Forfarshire on the north, is even at
present very-great; and some idea of the extent of the increased
communication may be formed, when it is considered that during
the year 1835 there-were upwards of 75,000 passengers between
Newhaven and Burntisland, Pettvour, and Kirkaldy, and up-
wards 34,000 between Newhaven;Dundee, and Aberdeen, &c.
The quantity of goods which would be carried along a railway
connecting the two ferries would be very considerable. The
manufactures of Dundee and of the other towns on the lines of
the railway ou the north, would be brought to the markets in
the south in a cheap and speedy manner; and the articles of
commerce sent from the south being carrid at a comparatively
cheap rate would find a ready market in the populous and flou-
rishing towns-of Dundee and Perth.
Looking at the internal resources of the county of Fife alone,
abounding as it doeS in coal and limestone, a very considerable
traffic might fairly be expected, when the want of these articles
on the north of the 'Fay is considered. There are at preseiiit
imported into Dundee about 300,000 tons of Scotch coals annii-
ally. If a cheap and speedy communication by a railWav thrOugh
the coal district of Fife was formed, the greater part of this large
quantity might be fairly calculated upon as a part of the railway
traffic. There are likewise upward of 100,000 bolls of lime im-
ported into the ports of Perth and Dundee, besides importa-
tions into the intermediate ports.
Impressed with a consideration of the great advantages to the
country at large, which the formation of a railway between the
Fife and Tay ferries would produce, it has been resolved by a
number of gentlemen to endeavour to carry it into effect, and
that as promptly, economically, and beneficially for the share-
holders and the public as its great accessibilities will admit.