The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGE CE.

OPENING OF THE WARWICK AND LEAMINGTON
RAILWAY.— On Monday the line connecting Coventry,
Kenilworth, Le ,mington and Warwick, by the London
and Birmingham Railway, with London, was opened to
the public. The line is about nine miles long, and 120
miles from town, being within a four hours' journey of
the metropolis. It has been constructed under the super-
intendence of Mr. Robert Stephenson—is what is termed
a single line, has cost about £170,000. and has taken
about eighteen months to construct.
We understand that the Lynn and Dereham Railway
Company have agreed to join the Direct Norwich and
Dereham Railway Company, and form one united sta-
tion at Dereham. This arrangement will be the means
cf forming a direct communication with the port of Lynn,
and facilitate a junction being made with the London and
York Railway at the nearest point. A new field will be
thus opened for the productions and manufacturers of
our county and city, and place us in the most advantage-
ous position as regards direct railway communication with
all parts of the North.—Bury Post.
RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—A dreadful explosion of a boiler
took place on Tuesday night, on the South Eastern Rail-
way, en that portion of the viaduct which intervenes be-
tween the New Cross Station and the terminus. It was a
luggage train, therefore there were no passengers, but the
engineer and fireman were killed instantaneously. The
wreck was awful. The viaduct itself had given way in
several places, and through one of its chasms the broken
engine was precipitated into the fields below. Several of
the heavy luggage trucks, enormously strong though they
are built, lay crushed like egg shells, their contents of
oranges, teas, cocoa-nuts, walnuts, and merchandise,
strewing the road i❑ all directions.

LANCASTER AND PRESTON RAILWAY.—On Tuesday
last, a special general meeting of this company took place
at Lancaster, for the purpose of deciding as to the confir-
mation of a conditional agreement between the directors
of the company and the directors of the Lancaster and
Carlisle Railway Company for the leasing, in perpetuity,
of the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway, by the
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Company, and on other
matters connected therewith. George Burrow, Esq., oc-
cupied the chair, and said their present line was leased to
the Lancaster Canal Company for 21 years (of which 19
were unexpired) at a rental of 4 per cent. on paid-up
capital, with a contingency for increase on the opening of
the Newcastle and Edinburgh line. The agreement with
the Lancaster and Carlisle Company was an advance in
their favour : by it they were to receive, from the Ist of
September, 1816, five per cent. per annum in perpetuity
on the paid-up capital, the £65,000 invested in the Lan-
caster and Carlisle Railway included, and to have the
option, to be exercised within three years from the open-
ing of that line, to exchange the Lancaster and Preston
shares for their share; at par in perpetuity ; or ever after-
wards to take 5 per cent. per annum on the paid-up
capital, with one-third on all net profit beyond 5 per
cent. made on the whole line between Preston and Car-
lisle. The Canal Company had agreed to give up their
lease, the directors of the Carlisle Company taking that
agreement into their own hands : the Canal Company
paid them 4 per cent., and they (the Carlisle directors)
added 1 per cent. to it, to make it up to 5 per cent., to
pay them (the shareholders of the Lancaster and Presto❑
line.)—Several of the directors and shareholders present
expressed their great satisfaction at the proposed agree-
ment, and a resolution to carry it into effect was unani-
mously passed, as was a vote of thanks to the gentleman
through whose judgment and perseverance it had been so
successfully accomplished.

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.—A spe-
cial general meeting of this company was held on Tuesday
afternoon, at the Cotton Sales Rooms, Liverpool, Mr.
Charles Lawrence in the chair. The points far consider-
ation were—first, the amalgamation of the Grand Junc-
tion, North Union, and Liverpool and Manchester, in-
cluding 'he Bolton and Leigh, Railway Companies, into
one consolidated integral concern ; and secondly, the ap-
plication to Parliament in the ensuing session for autho-
rity to construct the following extension or additional
lines of railway, with other improvements :-Ist. A new
entrance into Liverpool, by means of a tunnel from the
main line, near Wavertree-lane, Edge-hill, to the Water-
loo Dock, with a commodious station at the latter site.
2nd. A new approach line, by means of a tunnel, or open
cutting, from the Old Good's Station, Edge-hill, to the
company's yard, in Crown-street, for the better accom-
modation of the coal trade. 3rd. A line of railway from
the immediate vicinity of the new docks, now construct-
ing at the north end of the town, passing near Walton,
behind Croxteth and Knowsley, and through Simmons-
wood to Rainford ; there to be joined by a new line of
railway from St. Helen's to Rainford, Bickerstaff, La-
tham, Ormskirk and Rufford ; at this latter place, con-
necting with the proposed line at Buxton, on the North
Union Line, to the populous and increasing bathing place
of Southport. 4th. A branch railway, about three miles
in length, from the main line at Patricrott to Clifton, on
the Manchester and Bolton Line; there to connect with
the Manchester, bury, and Rossendale Railway. sth. A
branch from 'he main line near Newton', to join the
North Union Railway, near Parkside, by which a more
easy and rapid communication between the North Union
Line and the Liverpool and Manchester in the direction
of Liverpool will be effected. Also, for authority to im-
prove and extend the passenger station, in Lime-street,
and the goods' station in Crosbie-street, and Wapping;
extending the latter to the Queen's Dock— .. Resoluti-
ons approving of the amalgamation, and of the different
new works, were unanimously adopted.

GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.—A special meeting of
this company was held on Wednesday, for the purpose of
sanctioning the arrangements made by the directors, as
stated in the report. John Moss, Esq. took the chair,
and stated that since the meeting had been called an in-
terview had taken place between deputations of that com-
pany and the London and Birmingham Company, at the
instance of the latter, and, as they were not then in a po-
sition to report what had been done, the directors proposed
to adjourn that meeting until the 30th instant. The
chairman then referred at some length to the construction
put upon a letter of his by the chairman of the London
and Birmingham Company, and also alluded to an alleged
want of foresight in him in not having purchased the
Birkenhead and Chester line. He stated that the latter
line was offered to him more than once, on very low
terms ; but in consequence of an arrangement with the
Liverpool and Manchester line, effected some years since,
involving stipulations for mutual defence, he declined the
purchase, in consequence of it being detrimental to the
interests of the Manchester line. Captain Huish read the
report, which announced the conditional agreement for
amalgamation with the Liverpool and Manchester line.
The latter company having already created new £4O
shares this year, to extinguish their debt, and the Grand
Junction having issued new £l2 10s. shares, to meet their
subscription to the Lancaster and Carlisle Company, it
has been arranged that each holder of a Grand Junction
£lOO share, or other stock equivalent in amount, shall
have a new £25 share, and that being done, that the whOle
shall be consolidated on equal terms in one capital stock,
(instead of shares,) under clauses in the bill to which, with
the concurrence of the trustees, the directors intended to
apply in the ensuing session of parliament. The proprie-
tors were probably aware that the Liverpool and Man-
chester Company have already agreed on terms for the
amalgamation of the North Union Railway, including the
Bolton and Preston line, with their undertaking ; and the
directors had no hesitation in stating their opinion, that,
by the union of the varied interests now about to be com-
bined, important advantages would be secured. The ne-
cessity for obtaining increased accommodation in Liver-
pool, without being dependent on another company, had
long pressed seriously on the attention of the board, and
it had become desirable to shorten the distance to Bir-
mingham, by avoiding the bend round by Newton. The
first of these objects will be secured without the necessity
for a further destruction of expensive property, by the
formation of a new line, for a traffic that may be accom-
modated by the existing one; and the attainment of the
second will now be facilitated by the united exertions and
influence of the companies. The report concluded by
stating that the various preliminary measures had been
taken to obtain legislative sanction to the branch lines to
Shrewsbury and the Potteries, and the line from Stafford,
through the Trent valley to Rugby. The report was
adopted.----Mr. Evans asked whether it was not incumbent
on the united companies to return to the corporation the
sum of £2500, exacted from that body to improve tlie
front of the railway station in Lime-street; but the chair-
man said the subject could not then be entertained.—On
the moticn of Mr. Elias Mozley, a vote of thanks was
carried to the chairman, fur his zealous exertions on all
occasions.