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Because many wealthy investors thought it had huge economic potential as a means of speeding up transit of goods & people between manufacturing centres, markets, & ports. Early C19th England/ Britain was full of wealthy entrepreneurs (many of whom had made huge profits from the "Triangular Trade" - ie Slave Trade & associated manufacturing & export/ import trades) who were constantly looking for new investment opportunities. Canals & roads had already done much to facilitate business/ trade; railways looked like the "next big thing" where transport/ communications were concerned. They were not wrong!
The first public line was the Stockton - Darlington railway, opened in 1825: engineered by George Stephenson to demonstrate the viability/ utility of the emerging technologies of steam rotary motion (developed by James Watt, 1781) & iron tracks. It provided a great investment opportunity for venture capitalists, plus a huge stimulus to coal, iron, & engineering industries.
In 1826, George & Robert Stephenson undertook design & construction of the Liverpool - Manchester line (completed 1830), a phenomenal engineering feat that included the Olive Mount Cutting, Sankey Viaduct, & the crossing of the Chat Moss bog. This linked the port of Liverpool (cotton, tobacco, sugar etc from the Americas) to Manchester, centre of the cotton manufacturing industry.
The long-term economic impact of the railways on Britain is contested: canals continued to handle most internal bulk good carriage, but there's little doubt that the massive railway construction of the 1830s onwards was a great economic stimulus, arguably saving British venture capitalism from crisis in the mid C19th. Without doubt, railways "shrank the world", & greatly enhanced movements of people around Britain. The coming of the railways led to standardised time throughout the UK, and also made daily newspapers & a national football league viable. Ultimately, they also made suburbanisation & commuting to work increasingly attractive & feasible.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThat they served the nation's political, economic and geographical interests can not be denied, but the builders had no such lofty goals, they sought profit.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agothey were needed to improve the country, so like yeah, and coz like peeps wanned them init
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoTo transport goods from place to place. The US governemnt used the term to "establish communications".
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When was the London to Brighton railway line built?
Rail travel from London to Brighton became possible in September 1841. It was one of earliest railway lines in Southern England.
Who built the great northern railway system?
James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railway System
When was Cheshunt railway station built?
The railway line from Stratford to Broxbourne was opened by the Northern & Eastern Railway on 15 September 1840. Cheshunt station itself was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway in 1846.
What was the name of the railroad that Dillingham built?
Oahu Railway and Land Company
What was built by inmates taken from Changi Prison Camp?
The Burma Railway was built by the inmates taken from the Changi prison camp .
When was the London to Brighton railway line built?
Rail travel from London to Brighton became possible in September 1841. It was one of earliest railway lines in Southern England.
When was Cleveland Railway - England - created?
Cleveland Railway - England - was created in 1861.
When did Cleveland Railway - England - end?
Cleveland Railway - England - ended in 1865.
When was the first steam railway built?
The first railway journey was on 24 Feb 1804 when the Trevithick steam locomotive drew carriages along the Penydaren Ironworks tramway near Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales. The Stockton to Darlington Railway (County Durham, England), the first purpose built public transport steam railway, was opened in 1825.
Who built the Forth railway bridge?
The forth railway bridge was built by Sir William Arroll.
Where is the world largest railway station?
The grand Retiro railway station in Buenos Aires, 1915, was the largest station in the world at the time. The station was built in Liverpool in England and shipped over to Argentina.
When was Central New England Railway created?
Central New England Railway was created in 1899.
When was Great North of England Railway created?
Great North of England Railway was created in 1841.
When did Great North of England Railway end?
Great North of England Railway ended in 1850.
When did Central New England Railway end?
Central New England Railway ended in 1927.
When was railway station in coimbatore built?
its was Built in 1906.
Who built the great northern railway system?
James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railway System
