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 Monchrs!er Guardian.)
The whole of this great line, 1124 miles in length, was
opened to the public on Monday morning last. Hitherto
the trains have run from London tnpenbigh H all (49 wiles)

and from Birmingham to Rugby (29 miles), the .i7issen;:ers.
having had to traverse the intervening extent ut '33 milt.s—

the junction now opened.
We understand that a special tr:.;tl of private carriages,
_s
containing a number of the director-! 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 tor 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
rrrinirtcs-after eight o'cirrek-,-&-m-:- with- tigreat-tituribet or pa
sengers. The periods of arrival at the principal stations, ac-
cording to the ord.nary rates, are as follow, for this eight
o'clock train :—At Watford (17% miles), 53 minutes past
eight : Tring (311), 35 minutes past nine ; Wolverton (52k),
38 minutes past ten; Bilsworth (631), 11 minutes past 11;
Rugby (831), 10 minutes past twelve; Coventry (91), 42
minutes past twelve; and Birmingham (1124), 37 minutes
past one, p.m. This train arrived in Birmingham at aquar-
ier 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 mintit.:s, and another of about fifteen
minutes at Minshull Vernon, and a third of ten minutes be-
tween Kenyon Junction and Manchester, owing to the Grand
Junction overtaking a Liverpool and Manchester second-
class train, after it had passed the shunts at Kenyon (so that
the slow train, ha,;:ing 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
between seventy arid. eighty passengers down, exclusive of
What are called the "load,. passeigers,"—those who only go
stunt distances, from one Interthe6iate 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'Birininghani for' Liverpool was equally crowded;- and

•
extra carriages. were. attached.
The Grand Junction mixed train, leaving Birminghim for
Manchester on Monday last, at five p.m. brought forward a
considerable number.. of oassengers front 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 ta rake up and put
down passengers at the intermediate stations, the train ar-
rived here al 3.5 minutes past p tn. being 20 minutes afterdue
time. The last train from Birmingham fur Manchester, at
seven in the evening, brought forward tne 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 heard 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 PAIL (rite
last being the night mail), are to reach Birmingham at 14
minutes past eight p.m. 37 minutes past anti 41 1,
minutes past two a in.; so that the earliest of them is at pre-
sent too late fur Ore seven 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 limes of
departure and arrival_ of the Grand Junction trains as will
enable the passengers to proceel forward, along both rail-
wave, 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 tram thence, which should have left at
half-past two, (lid 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'clork train from Birmingham left that
station at five minutes after five 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 goods 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

he circtitnstance of London and Manchester being broug

within eleven hours' distance of each other; and when the
rich and populous and imputant districts are considered,
through. which the great nortlrwest 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 shires,—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.

(Abridgetl.from the L.»?don Times.)

The first train started &orb, the :uston 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
ahall. The next train which was open to the public...left Ens-
Con Square station at ten minutes alter eight o'clock, but did
not 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,
but by the watches of those who rent by it, two minutes before
two. Watford was reached in 38 minutes before the Ruston
station. The train halted there three minutes. Tring was
reached in 73 'minutes, and the train halted four minutes and
a half. Wolverton, the first new station, was reached by
twenty-eight minutes past ten, then the train halted 25minutes.
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. bade was reached at 17 minutes
past eleven, the trains stopped ten minutes at this station,
which is 69 miles froin"London. "Weedon, which is nine miles
further, was reached at seven minutes to twelve o'clock, and
ngby, which is 83 miles from London, at half-past twelve.
The train stopped here eight minutes. Coventry was reached
at six minutes past one o'clock, and here the train remained
for 15 minutes. The next place was Birnaingham. The por-
tion of the line just opened from Denbigh Hall to Rugby ap-
pears to be equally good with any other part of the road. The
train which left Birmingham for London at half-past 12 was
delayed, by some means or other, on the road for nearly two
hours; in consequence of which, the train next in succession,
whiCh left Birinnigham at half-past two, was delayed nearly
two hours when almost close to Easton station. This last
train arrived in London about twenty minutes to ten, instead

a qudrter past eight, the hour stated for the arriving in the

public announcements. It does not aopear that any accident
whatever occurred On the road ; indeed, so excellent a ere the
arrangements;-that the possibility of accident was provided for
in every way that could be imagined. - At Dodford, which
14 a little beyond-Weedon. the labourers held a
_Pie in honour
of the day. There were nearlv 600 persons assembled enjoy-
ing themselves in various wa-,s; their festivity and good
humour greatly enlivened the scene.
BIRMINGHAM, 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 7
quarters,) in two 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
shutter length. As this train catne only from Wolverton, it
was much lighter than those which subsequently arrived from
Lonoon. •

Soon after twelve o'clock, an emission of smoke announced
he-approach of a special train, conveYing a number of the
lirectors and tiffice:s of the company,auton,.!st 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 Euston Square to Rugby. and appeared
throughout the" whole of the journey to be highly delighted
with railway travelling.. The folloWing is an account of the
time occupied in the journey, tarnished by the guard who
accompanied the directors :
The train left Euston Square at 15 "binutes past seven,
but did not take on locomotive until 20 minutes past. It

£ a. d.
350 3 8
4,026 12 10
4.216 8 5
4,487 17 7
4,605 9 1
4.950 8 8
1,848 10 5
5,342 9 5
5,637 10 4
5.881 1 5
6,472 16 4
_
9,0
.Jul 7
. 11
6 814 14 6
'2••• 7 -7137 16 2
August .1
„ 11

April 11
2
21 1
„ 28

May 5
„ 12

103,538 9 4

. -
arrived at Tring station at 25 ttinutes 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 stopnaees, in,four hours and fourteen minutes. Flak
is unquestionably the shortest time in which the journey be-
tweet) 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 stmt on. The train consisted of 16 first-class carriages
and mails,.'sand 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 onr
newsroom and other pqblic rooms soon after two o'clock.
Some little inconvenience will yet be felt by passengers
travelling front bunion to Liverpool. as the arrangements
as to the time of starting of the Grand Junction trains from
Biriningbam to Liverpool, in connection with those from
London, will nut come into operati.n 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 :he same evening, having abundant
time for taking refreshments in '".rining,ham. The lower
portion of the magnificent station in Birmingham has
recently been licensed its an hotel to Mr. Dee, of the Royal
Hotel; so that passengers, if they think proper, may be
accommodated with every good thing without leaving the
company's premises.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM BATIWAY.—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 Angus
1838, inclusive.

The take of herrings on the Manx coast fcr some days past
has heen large almost beyond a parallel, some boats having
got as many as fifty crans. One or tAvo vessels have brought
their cargoes to Whiteliavm where they 'WV() retailed to the
blio et Aileen Nr sistotem
. .