The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-21 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM

RAILWAY.

. (From the Manchester Guardian.)
The whole of this great line, 1121 miles in length, was
opened to the public on Monday morning last. Hitherto
the trains have run from London to Denbigh Hall (49 miles)
and from Birmingham to Rugby (29 miles), the passengers
having had to traverse the intervening extent of 33 miles—
the junction now opened.

We understand that a special train of private carriages,
containing a number of the directors and their friends, ac-
companied by Mr. Stevenson, the engineer, started from
London at a quarter past seven o'clock in the morning.
nearly an hour before the time fixed for the departure of the
first public train, so that they might satisfy themselves by
personal inspection, that all was clear and safe for public
traffic. This train arrived in Birmingham at three minutes
past twelve, having performed the whole journey, including
stoppages, in four hours and forty-eight minutes. The first
public train of carriages, a first-class train, left London at ten
minutes ofter eight o'clock, a. m. with a great number of pas-
sengers. The periods of arrival at the principal stations, ac-
cording to the ordinary rates, are as follow, for this eight
o'clock train :—At Watford (17% miles)' 53 minutes past
eight ; Tring (311), 35 minutes post nine; Wolverton (521),
38 minutes past ten ; Bilsworth (63), 11 minutes past 11;
Rugby (84), 10 minutes past twelve; Coventry (94), 42
minutes past twelve; and Birmingham 0121), 37 minutes
• past one, p.m. This train arrived in Birmingham at a quer-
ter to two, only eight minutes after it became due. The
Grand Junction train, which ought to have left Birmingham
for Manchester at half-past two o'clock, was delayed in its
departure till about five minutes to three, in consequence of
the time required to transfer to its carriages the passengers
from London and their luggage. Notwithstanding this de-
lay of twenty-five minutes, and another of anout fifteen
minutes at Miushull Vernon, and a third of ten minutes be-
tween Kenyon Junction and Manchester, owing to the Grand
Junction overtaking a Liverpool and Manchster second-
class train, after it had passed the shunts at Kenyon (so that
the slow train; • having to make sundry stoppages, could not
be passed), notwithstanding these delays, amounting alto-
gether to fifty minutes, the train, which was a heavy one,
reached this town at half-past seven in the evening, being
only a quarter of an hour beyond its due time of arrival. The
train from BirminghaM for Manchester, drawn by the Pe-
gasus engine, consisted of eighteen carriages; there being
Uetween seventy and eighty passengers down, exclusive of
what are called the "road passengers,"—those who only go
short distances, from one intermediate station to another. So
full was the train, that at length the passengers were only
taken on condition of their taking seats outside. The train
from Birmingham for Liverpool was equally crowded; and
extra carriages were attached.
The Grand Junction mixed train, leaving Birmingham for
Manchester on Monday last, at five p.m. brought forward a
considerable number of passengers from London, by the
mixed train which left the metropolis at nine a.m. and was
due in Birmingham at 14 minutes past three p.m. Owing
to the numerous stoppages along the line to fake up and put
down passengers at the intermediate. stations, the train ar-
rived here at 35 minutes past p.m. tieing 20 minutes after due
time. The last train from Birmingham for Manchester, at
seven in the evening, brought forward the passengers by the
mail train, which left London at eleven a.m. and was due at
Birmingham at 37 minutes past four. Of course, whenever
these London trains arrive in time, the Grand Junction
train leaving Birmingham at five p.m. will be enabled to
bring on passengers by the London trains arriving in Bir-
mingham at a quarter past three and halt-past- four o'clock.
The Grand Junction seven o'clock train arrived here on
Monday at ten minutes past eleven at night, being about 35
minutes before the due time. We have not beard of any ac-
cident occurring on Monday on the whole length of nearly
210 miles traversed by these three trains, which were the
only ones through from London to Manchester. The trains
leaving London at two, four, and half-past eight p.m. (the
last being the night mail), are to reach Birmingham at 14
minutes past eight p.m. 37 minutes past nine p.m. and 44
minutes past two a.m.; so that the earliest of them is at pre-
sent too late fur the seven o'clock 'evening train from Bir-
mingham to Manchester. We 'say at present, because we
understand that, from the Ist of October, the arrangements
entered into by the directors of both companies will be car-
ried into effect; such changes being made in the times of
departure. and arrival of the Grand Junction trains as will
enable the passengers to proceed forward,' along both rail-
ways, with as little delay as possible.
Yesterday, either the trains from London were not quite to
time, or there was a considerable delay at Birmingham • for
the Grand Junction train thence, whirls should have left at
half-past two, did not start till five minutes before three o'clock;
yet it reached here at half-past seven p.m. being only fifteen
minutes beyond time. This train brought upwards of sixty
passengers. The five o'clock train from Birmingham left that
station at five minutes after live o'clock, and arrived here at
ten o'clock. It was a heavy train. The seven o'clock train
left Birmingham at that hour, and notwithstanding a delay of
15 minutes at Park Side, in consequence of a goons train
being before it, arrived here at 35 minutes after eleven o'clock.
We may now congratulate our readers and the community,
on this great chain of communication with the metropolis
being completed. It is impossible to calculate the importance
of the circumstanceof London and Manchester being brought
within eleven hours' distance of each other; and when the
rich and populous and important districts are considered,
through which the great north-west line establishes a com-
munication of unexampled rapidity and facility, dropping the
rich produce of the soil in the heat t of our manufacturing and
commercial communities, and scattering the products of our
multifarious manufactures through every village and hamlet,
—thus making all neighbours and shares,—it would be diffi-
cult to form too high an estimate of the benefits that may fairly
be anticipated as flowing from this great and truly national
work.

(Abridged from the London Times.)

The first train started from the Euston Square station at
seven o'clock, having in the carriages the proprietors of the
undertaking and their friends. It was said in Birmingham
that they accomplished the whole journey in four hours and
a half. The next train which was open to the public left Eus-
ton Square station at ten minutes after eight o'clock, hut did
nut get fairly under weigh with the steam-engine until 25-
minutes past eight. This train reached Birmingham by the
Birmingham clocks at the terminus, at ten minutes to two,
hut by the watches of those who rent by it, two minutes before
two.- Watford was reached in 38 minutes before the Euston
station. The train halted there three minutes. 'Ting was
reached in ..73 minutes, and the train halted four minutes and
a half. Wolverton, the first new station, was reached by
t wen t y-eight minutes past ten, then the train halted 25 minutes.
At this place a great crowd of persons were assembled, and
preparations were made for a rural feast and celebration of
the opening of the line. Roade was reached at 17 minutes
past eleven, the trains stopped ten minutes at this station,
which is 60 miles from London. Weedon, which is nine miles
further, was reached at-seven minutes to twelve o'clock, and
Rugby, which is 83 miles from London. at half-past twelve.
The train stopped here eightminutes. Coventry was reached
at six minutes past one o'clock, and here the train remained
fur 15 minutes. The next place was Birmingham. The por-
tion of the line just opened from Denbigh Hall to Rugby ap-
pears to,he equally good with any other part of the road. The
train which left Birmingham for London at half-past 12 was
delayed, by soma means or other, on the road for nearly two
hours; in consequence of which, the train next in succession,
which left Birmingham at half-past two, was delayed nearly
two hours when almost close to Euston station. This last
train arrived in London about twenty minutes to ten, instead
of a quarter past eight, the hour stated for the arriving in the
public announcements. It does not appear that any accident
whatever occurred on the road; indeed, so excellent were the
arrangements, that the possibility of accident was provided for
in every way that could be imagined. At Dodford, which
is a little beyond Weedon, the labourers held aflte in honour
of the day. There were nearly 8(X) persons assembled enjoy-
ing themselves in various ways; their festivity and good
humour greatly enlivened the scene.
BIRMINGD AM, MONDAY EVENING, SEPT. 17.

The first train, (second' class,) that from Wolverton, ar-
rived at the Birmingham station-house at a quarter to ten
o'clock, having performed the distance (59 miles and three-
quarters,) in t wo hours and three-quarters, half an hour under
the time allowed by the company's regulations. This was
the first train for the conveyance of passengers that ever
passed through the celebrated Kilsby tunnel (one mile and a
half in length ; ) and the passengers describe it, from its
shafts, as much more pleasant in the transit than those of a
shorter length. As this train came only from Wolverton, it
was much lighter than those which subsequently arrived from
London.

Soon after twelve o'clock, an emission of smoke announced
the approach of a special train, conveying a number of the
directors and officers of the company, amongst whom were—
Mr. R. C. Glynn, chairman; Mr. Calvert; Mr Stephenson,
the engineer; Mr. Berry, contractor for locomotive; Mr.
Creed, secretary; Mt. Baxter, &c. His Royal Highness the
Duke of Sussex, suite, and two carriages, were conveyed by
this train from Boston Square to Rugby, and appeared
throughout the whole of the journey to be ighly delighted
with railway travelling. The following is an account of the
time occupied in the purney, furnished by the guard who
accompa,nied the directors :
The train left Boston Square at 15 minutes past seven,
but did not take on locomotive until 20 minutes past. It
arrived at Tring station at 25 minutes past eight, where there
was five minutes' delay. Arrived at Wolverton 16 minutes
past nine, where the directors alighted, and changed engines.
The train arrived at Rugby at eleven o'clock, where the
Duke of Sussex and his suite alighted and proceeded by car-
riage to the place of his destination. The directors remained
at Rugby ten minutes, and arrived at Birmingham three mi-
nutes past twelve, having performed the whole journey, in-
cluding stoppages, in four hours and fourteen minutes. This
is unquestionably the shortest time in which the journey be-
tween London and Birmingham has ever been performed,
being upwards of two hours less than the time occupied by
Marshal Soult and attendants a few weeks ago.
Considerable anxiety was manifested by the directors and
company in attendance, as to the time of the first-class train,
which left London at eight in the morning. The table of
hours of arrival and departure stated that it would arrive in
Birmingham at 37' minutes past- one; and precisely at a
quarter to two, eight minutes after it became due, it arrived
at the station. The train consisted of 16 first-class carriages
and mails, and four gentlemen's carriages, and must, in the
aggregate, have conveyed at least two hundred passengers.
The passengers generally spoke in the highest terms of the
comfort and speed with which they had performed the jour-
ney; the only delay being on the new and unsettled part of
the road between Rugby and Denbigh Hall.
The London morning papers were on the tables of our
newsroom and other public rooms soon after two o'clock.
Some little inconvenience will yet be felt by passengers
travelling from London to Liverpool, as the arrangements
as to the time of starting of the Grand Junction trains from
Birrcinghain to Liverpool, in connection with those from
London, will not conic into operation until the Ist of Octo-
ber. Persons leaving Euston Square by either the eight,
nine, or eleven o'clock trains, will now, however, reach Man-
chester or Liverpool the same evening, having abundant
time for taking refreshments in Birmingham. The lower
portion of the magnificent station house in Birmingham has
recently been licensed as an hotel to Mr. Dee, of the Royal
Hotel; so that passengers, if they think proper, may ybe
accommodated with every good thing without leaving the
company's premises.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.—The following
document shows how progressively steady has been the
increase of the traffic on this line. The greatest amount
received was for the week ending June 30. the week of the
coronation :—Statement of the weekly receipts for passengers
and parcels, between the Bth of April and the 11th of August,
1838, inclusive.

£ s. d.
April 14
21
28
May 5
12
4,950 8 8
4,848 10 5
5,342 9 5
5,637 10 4
5,884 1 5
6,472 16 4
7,543 0 4
7,115 5 2
6,813 17 5
6.814 14 6
7.137 16 2
7,109 4 11
7,032 2 1

2:3 .
~ 30.
July 7

12 28
August. 4
2) 11

103,538 9 4

The take of herrings on the Manx coast for some days past
has been large almost berond a parallel, some boats having
got as many as fifty trans. One or two vessels have brought
their cargoes to Whitehaven, where they have retailed to the
public at fifteen for sixpence.