How did the railroads change the British economy?

Answer 1

Iron and steel industries expanded in order to keep up with the production of rails, rolling-stock and locomotives.

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Rapid development of towns and other industries including machine-tool and ship-building. Great increase in coal-mining to feed the growing commercial and domestic market. Better, quicker and more reliable supplies of milk and other fresh, perishable foodstuffs from countryside to town: even fish could now be rushed from, say, Aberdeen or Grimsby to London or Birmingham; packed in ice and carried on fast overnight trains. This of course had very important public-health benefits. Much more rapid postal communications: until very recently Royal Mail owned travelling sorting-office trains.

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As the railway (not '~road' in Britain) network and services increased, tourism expanded considerably because even relatively modestly-paid factory workers could now afford an annual week away in the new seaside resorts established to cater for them (usually alongside existing, small fishing villages).

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Increased trade with "The Continent", because the North Sea, English Channel and Irish Sea ports could now be reached by rapid train services. There was even a train-carrying ferry service from England to Holland, allowed to fade away only as recently as, I think, the 1980s. The carriages were shunted onto the ships via link-spans fitted with rails. The service was effectively replaced by the Channel [railway] Tunnel.

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The British railways went through long-term decline from the 1920s onwards as road transport took over, and an enormous mileage of track was closed and demolished in the 1960s (some lines are preserved by volunteer trusts, principally and rather ironically as tourist attractions) but since the 1980s passenger numbers and freight tonnages have increased to the point that some routes and services are now chronically over-crowded! Part of the attraction to the new passengers is speed, meaning overall journey times can be on a par with competing air routes despite the planes' 400mph v. the trains' 100mph; and the trip often a lot more convenient and comfortable.

Answer 2

Iron and steel industries expanded in order to keep up with the production of rails, rolling-stock and locomotives.

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Rapid development of towns and other industries including machine-tool and ship-building. Great increase in coal-mining to feed the growing commercial and domestic market. Better, quicker and more reliable supplies of milk and other fresh, perishable foodstuffs from countryside to town: even fish could now be rushed from, say, Aberdeen or Grimsby to London or Birmingham; packed in ice and carried on fast overnight trains. This of course had very important public-health benefits. Much more rapid postal communications: until very recently Royal Mail owned travelling sorting-office trains.

'

As the railway (not '~road' in Britain) network and services increased, tourism expanded considerably because even relatively modestly-paid factory workers could now afford an annual week away in the new seaside resorts established to cater for them (usually alongside existing, small fishing villages).

'

Increased trade with "The Continent", because the North Sea, English Channel and Irish Sea ports could now be reached by rapid train services. There was even a train-carrying ferry service from England to Holland, allowed to fade away only as recently as, I think, the 1980s. The carriages were shunted onto the ships via link-spans fitted with rails. The service was effectively replaced by the Channel [railway] Tunnel.

'

The British railways went through long-term decline from the 1920s onwards as road transport took over, and an enormous mileage of track was closed and demolished in the 1960s (some lines are preserved by volunteer trusts, principally and rather ironically as tourist attractions) but since the 1980s passenger numbers and freight tonnages have increased to the point that some routes and services are now chronically over-crowded! Part of the attraction to the new passengers is speed, meaning overall journey times can be on a par with competing air routes despite the planes' 400mph v. the trains' 100mph; and the trip often a lot more convenient and comfortable.

Answer 3

Iron and steel industries expanded in order to keep up with the production of rails and train engines.