RAILWAYS. 



773 



fore, each inhabitant may be supposed to take one 

 trip in a year. 



In Belgium the number of passengers booked at 

 Brussels, Mechlin, and Antwerp, inclusive of two 

 intermediate stations, in each year since the open- 

 ing of these lines, has been as follows: 



B.ns:s. Mechlin. Antwerp. ToUl. 



1835 (Blast months) . 215,342 206,097 421,439 



1836(Antwerponly8mouths) 379,583 265,048 226,671 871,307 



1837 .... 475,155 364,317 305,995 1,145,467 



1838 (10 mouths) . 511,326 338,351 299,146 1,148,823 

 The population of these three towns did not, in 



1838, amount to one -half of that on the English 

 line, namely, Brussels, with its suburbs, 134,302 ; 

 Mechlin, 22,895; Antwerp, 75,363; total 

 232,960 ; and neither the population nor the com- i 

 mercial activity of the surrounding districts can be ! 

 compared with those of its competitor, yet the in- : 

 tercourse in 1837 was more than twice as great, 

 and with reference to the difference of population, 

 was five times as great, the average number of trips 

 to each inhabitant having been five per annum. A 

 comparison with the intercourse on both lines pre- 

 vious to the formation of the railroads is equally fa- j 

 vourable to the Belgian undertaking. On the Liver- j 

 pool and Manchester line the average number of pas- j 

 sengers which the coaches carried, in the year 1825, 

 was estimated at 450 daily, or 164,250 per annum. , 

 The number actually conveyed by the railroad, in , 

 1836, was 523,000, showing an increase of 218 per 

 cent., or rather more than three times the formernum- 

 ber ; the fares having been reduced from 10s. and 

 Gs. to 5s. 6d. and 4s.; the higher rates one-half, 

 and the lower only one-third. On the Belgian line 

 the number of passengers between Brussels and 

 Antwerp, before the opening of the railway, is said 

 to have been 80,000yearly. The rates of conveyance 

 have been reduced from 4s. and 2s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. and 

 Is. 0|d. ; the higher fares two fifths, and the lower 

 three-fifths: and in 1837 the number of passengers 

 booked at Brussels and Antwerp, excluding Mech- 

 lin, whence a portion of the passengers were pro- 

 ceeding on ether lines of railway, was 781,250, 

 showing an increase of 876 per cent., or about nine 

 and a half times the former number. If Mechlin 

 be included, the increase will be fourteen times the 

 former number. An analysis of the classes of tra- 

 vellers will show that this superior activity is in a 

 "great measure owing to the cheapness of fares. Of 

 the total number of passengers, during the six 

 months ended 30th October, 1836, the proportion 

 using each class of carriages was as follows: 



Per Gent. Per Cent. 



Berlins, paying 2s. lid. 17 yielding a revenue of 5 

 Diligences 2s. 6d. 3'7 9 



Chars-a-banc la. 8d. 22-2 32 



Waggons Is. 0>-d. 72-4 54 



100- 10J- 



The proportion of persons travelling short dis- 

 tances only in waggons is still greater, but the above 

 is sufficient to show how large a portion of the 

 whole revenue of the company is derived from 

 passengers of the lower class, paying a very small 

 fare ; and it is a just inference that the high rates 

 of fares on the Liverpool and other railroads in 

 England do very materially check travelling; that 

 to the artisan they entirely prohibit travelling for 

 pleasure ; that they restrain even the wealthy in 

 the use of this source of recreation ; and it can 

 scarcely be doubted that they interfere with 

 journeying on business. Whether an increase of 

 numbers at a low rate would repay the correspond- 

 ing additional outlay for locomotive power, wear 

 and tear, &c., is another question, upon which the 

 evidence afforded by the Belgian railway, is also 



important. The following result of the operations 

 on all the lines since they were severally opened, 

 tends to show that the experiment has been suc- 



cessful. 



1835 

 1836 



( e 



1838 < 8 



,ouths. (.10 



Expense 

 1 Section open 8 months Z/,6,748 



1 4 



2 8 



8 



3 



"j 



^ 



17,244 

 46,216 



33,004 

 56,676 



15,700 

 10,460 



64,768 105,340 40,572 



The cost of these ten sections, including the 

 materials, was about 1,360,000, the interest of 

 which sum, at 5 per cent, per annum, would 

 amount to 68,000 ; and for ten months, to com- 

 pare with the above, it would be 56,667. But 

 it must be borne in mind, that the whole of the 

 ten sections were only in operation during three 

 months, and therefore the profits of 1838 must not 

 be charged with the cost of all the sections. The 

 receipts at Ans, which section was only open seven 

 months, amounted to nearly one-third of those at 

 Brussels during ten months, and the line from 

 Bruges to Ostend was not open three months. 

 The following were the receipts at each principal 

 town : 



Brussels 

 Antwerp 

 Ghent 

 Mechlin 

 Ans . 



i. 29,882 1 Lou vain 



16 553 

 13,114 

 11,640 

 9,571 



Tirlemoiit 

 Ostend 

 Other Towns 



L 7,728 



4,218 



. 1,607 



11,027 



This statement sufficiently indicates the favour- 

 able prospects of the undertaking. 



With reference to the amount of profit which 

 the Belgian government looks forward to receiving 

 from the railways, it is necessary to state the view 

 which they take of their position as proprietors. 

 The undertaking might be prosecuted upon three 

 different systems. 1st, As a work of public utili- 

 ity, without requiring that the receipts should cover 

 the expenditure. 2nd, As a financial resource, and 

 requiring that the receipts should exceed the expendi- 

 ture, and yield an income for public purposes. 3rd, 

 As an establishment which should neither be a 

 burthen nor a source of revenue, and requiring 

 merely that it should cover its own expenses, COIN 

 sisting of the charge for maintenance and repairs, 

 with a further sum for the interest and gradual re- 

 demption of the invested capital. The Belgian 

 government adopts the last system, and expects to 

 realize an annual profit of 5 per cent, upon the 

 original outlay beyond the current expenses, li 

 has, however, been estimated, that the line fron. 

 Brussels to Antwerp will yield 16 per cent. 



The Belgian railways surpass those of this coun- 

 try, namely, in evenness of motion ; but it remains 

 to be seen how far the carriage of heavy goods, 

 which was only commenced in 1838, will diminish 

 this advantage. Mr Loch, in a letter addressed to 

 lord Morpeth, and printed in the appendix to the 

 Irish railway report, says upon this point, that 

 " the motion is much more equal and uniform on 

 the Brussels railway, and there is far less (I had 

 almost said there is none) of that thumping which 

 distinguishes the Greenwich, as well as the Liver 

 pool railway. The carriages are neater within, 

 and better finished ; and they have none of that 

 disagreeable swinging motion which the English 

 carriage has, and which is so much remarked upon. 

 Coupled with this, the breakage of the rail amounts 

 to nothing on the Brussels railway, while it is so 

 tremendous upon the Liverpool. Upon the former 

 riot above a dozen have been broken since it was 



