The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-22 00:00:00

RAILWAY IN7ELLIGENC.

BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY.—The half-
year:), meeting of this company was held on Friday last, at
Gloucester. The report for the half-year ending 31st De-
cember, together with the financial details were then seve-
rally read. The receipts for the half year ended 31st Decem-
ber were £50,114 ss. 6d. ; the expenses including interest,
&c. (but exclusive of depreciation of stock) £39,381 Os. Bd. ;
leaving a balance of £10,733 ss. 2d.: and that the balance to
the 30th of June (also exclusive of depreciation) was £11,170
6s. 3d. The committee recommended that a dividend of
£1 10s. per share out of the profits be paid on the 25th
March. As to the goods traffic it was reported that the ar-
rangements which the committee alluded to in their last re-
port came into operation in October, and that improvements
in the management of the details would continue to be made.
The business in that department had been gradually in-
creasing. We shall notice some of the topics which drew
forth discussion in our next. The committee in their report
recommended a branch railway to Worcester.

OPENING OF THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAIL-
WAY.—On Friday this stupendous and truly-national under-
taking was opened formally with extraordinary eclat. The
directors of Glasgow as well as Edinburgh had issued upwards
of a thousand tickets of invitation to the most distinguished
inhabitants of both cities, not only to join in an excursion
along the entire line of railway, but to partake of a splendid
entertainment, liberally provided at Glasgow. The parties
belonging to Edinburgh, thus invited, began to assemble
about eleven o'clock at the terminus, situated at the Hay-
market, and the station was also crowded by a brilliant as-
semblage of beauty and fashion, who were attracted by the
interest and novelty of. the event, unparalleled in the com-
mercial history of Scotland, favoured as the occasion was, by
the beauty of the weather. The scene, indeed, about twelve
o'clock was one of the gayest and most animated we ever
witnessed, The crowds of spectators who covered every spot
of ground from which a glimpse of the railway could be ob-
tained were immense ; and all seemed engrossed with a feel-
ing of the utmost enthusiasm for the success of the mighty
work thus brought into operation.,
It had been arranged that the ladies and gentlemen from
Glasgow should arrive in Edinburgh about half past
eleven o'clock, when the trainffrom this city ought to have
started. But as the Glasgow train did not leave for some
hours later than was intended; the passengers only reached
Edinburgh about half-past twelve o'clock, after a most
agreeable journey, having finished the journey in about two
hours and a half. The train from Edinburgh, consisting of
26 carriages, consisting of not fewer than 500 ladies and
gentlemen, started at one o'clock, amidst the cheers of the
assembled thousands. The wonders and beauties revealed
in the progress along this railway met our eyes on every side.
The bridges, viaducts, tunnels and stations, are objects of
great interest, showing the enterprise and wealth of the
company ; but the cuttings, embankments, of the most for-
midable description and extent, are truly astonishing. The
panorama of nature is also most beautiful and varied, and
the journey was accomplished in the most successful and
satisfactory style. We were carried along some lime at the
rate of 26 miles an hour, but, seated in a luxurious convey
truce, fitted up in the fashion of , a gentleman's carriage, we
scarcely felt the motion, no jolting or jerking of the least
disagreeable kind having occurred at any part of the line.
Everything went beautifully, indeed, and the whole trip
reflected the highest credit upon the skill, care, and ability
of the engineer and his assistants. The journey from Edin-
burgh to the terminus in George Street, Glasgow, was per-
formed in about two hours and a half.
The train containing the party from Glasgow started about
twenty minutes after the other, and experienced the same
gratification from their trip homewards which they had
enjoyed in the forenoon. We should suppose that there
were not fewer than 500 ladies and gentlemen in the Glas-
gow train. The point of re-union in Glasgow was the ter-
minus,—where the station was fitted up sll2ttlie dinner, which
was given to upwards of 1100 ladies and gentlemen.