The Railways in Britain

The success of early railways such as the lines between big cities led to a great increase in railway building in Victorian times. Between 1835 and 1865, about twenty-five thousand kilometers of track were built, and over one hundred and ninety nine railway companies were created. Railway travel transformed people’s lives. Trains were first designed to carry goods. However, a law in the 19th century forced railway companies to run one cheap train a day which stopped at every station, and cost only a penny a mile. Soon working class passengers found they could afford to travel by rail.