What impact did the railways have on Britain?
Vicente Olson
2025-04-25 06:31:42
Count answers: 5
The state of road transport can be summed up by the wager between the road-builder Blind Jack Metcalfe and the MP Colonel Liddell that he could walk faster from London to Harrogate than the Colonel could get there by coach... and he won. In 1750 it took five days to travel from London to Manchester, and you had a 50:50 chance of incident. Transport might be changing, but – because it was dependent on muscle power – it was inadequate to the increasing needs of the Industrial Revolution. If the Industrial Revolution was to be sustained, a mechanical, powered system of transport was needed. The Railways changed Britain. If there is an argument that Britain in 1850 was not much different to Britain in 1750, there is no argument that Britain in 1850 was not utterly changed by 1900... and it was the Railways which made the difference. In 1830, only 70 miles of railway line existed; by 1870, in Britain, 423 million passengers travelled on 16,000 miles of line.
Lavada Breitenberg
2025-04-25 04:27:46
Count answers: 1
The railways gave people the ability to travel around the country quickly and made different areas more accessible.
The railways broke down stereotypes and mixed cultures because people from different regions were able to mix more.
Railways became a major employer because people were needed to build, run and maintain railway services.
British time became standardised for the first time because trains had to run to a set timetable across the country.
The government could send soldiers by train to stop political unrest and patrol protests.
The transport of heavy materials became much cheaper.
Railways encouraged people to travel further and this meant people could move to different areas to find work.
MPs were able to travel more quickly between their constituencies and the Houses of Parliament in London.
Perishable food could be moved quickly, so foods such as vegetables and dairy products could now reach the market while they were still fresh.
People were able to take short holidays and day trips to the beach.
Political newspapers, pamphlets and newsletters could be delivered by train.
More people were able to add fish to their diet because ports could transport fresh seafood to markets.
Many sports became regulated because national competitions could be set up for rugby, football and cricket.
Regional products now became household names around the country.
National newspapers could now be delivered.
People were willing to invest in railway stocks and this boosted Britain's economy.
One of Britain's biggest exports was locomotives and train parts.
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