The sun., 1881-12-04
English Railways.

The statistics OF British railways for tho
year 1880 have now been collected and
digested, and some Of the facts brought out
are OF more general interest than usually
attaches to such compilations. Not only
has the business OF railway transportation
reached astonishing proportions, but 1t las
evinced, Notwithstanding the prevalence Of
commercial depression, q rapid rate OF
growth. Important changes, moreover,
have lately been introduced in the methods
and prices OF railway carriage.
The increase in the number OF passengers
now travelling yearly by railway in Great
Britain Is much greater than We might
infer from the growth OF population. Ex-
elusive OF season ticket holders, there were
336. 900 900 passengers in 1870, while there were
Goa 900 COO in 1885, showing an increase In ten
years OF nearly 270,0o0,000. At present the
average number OF persons travelling by rail
in every week is about 100000, q number
equal to one-third OF the whole population
OF Great Britain. It is computed by a writer
in the Contemporary Rerielc that the Goa
900 900 passengers on British railways last
year would form procession Of 100 abreast.
a yard apart, extending across Africa from
travellers Is, rs we have said, in addition to
the journeyings OF season ticket holders.
who last year numbered 100000, many OF
whom probably made 200 or 800 jour-
neys each. Apropos OF season tickets,
a fact is stated which attests the sagacious
policy OF late adopted by British railways
In regard to this class Of passengers. Ac-
cording to the Contemporary. the London
and Birmingham Railway had been open
seventeen years before it produced any but
the most Insignificant effect on the redis-
trbution of population. Upon Investigation
it was found that within circle OF two miles
around each station between the metropolis
and Tring, the average amount expended in
new buildings had been only about 100000.
The directors then resolved to give first
class pass. available for a few years, to every
person who erected a dwelin. house of a
certain value near the line. Within eight
years 81 $50, 900 had been devoted to house
construction in the neighborhood OF each
station and the amount since expended in
building is said to have been enormous. We
need not say that the augmented population
has immensely contributed to the passenger
and freight traffic Of the line.
How rapidly railways have developed the
mineral resources OF EnSlan is strikingly
exempified by the fact that thirty years ago
there was scarcely a colliery on the Midland
line between Derby and Leeds; now there is
a series OF coal mines from one end to the
other OF that section of the road. sixty miles
in length. II appears that during the year
1880 the weight OF minerals carried on the
railways OF the United Kingdom was l65, ,000,-
900 tons. II we compute the average
load OF an English coal car at seven
tons. and Its average length at fifteen
feet. the minerals conveyed would fill
more than 2O,OO0,0OO wagons, forming a
train stretching from one end to the
other OF railway 65,OOO miles long. or
nearly three times around the world. The
goods traffic of British railways does not
present such imposing figures; nevertheless,
in 1880 there were transported nearly
10000 900 tons of general merchandise. An
account OF the rolling stock, taken during
the last twelvemonth. exhibits l3,4O0 loco
motives, 10000 carriages and other vehicles
for passenger trains, and about 100000
wagons for goods and mineral traffic.
Finally. we may mention that the number Of
mixes travelled by trains last year in the
United Klnsdom uAs 2AO.Oo0000 equal TO