Liverpool and Manchester Railway authorised by Parliament (1826)

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Act 1826 authorised the construction of a railway between Liverpool and Manchester. The legislation, granted royal assent on 5 May 1826, established the framework for a line intended to transport goods and passengers. The Act included specific provisions regarding locomotive usage on certain sections of the route.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The railway was designed to provide faster transport of raw materials, finished goods, and passengers between the Port of Liverpool and the cotton mills of Manchester. Support came from Liverpool and London, while Manchester was largely indifferent. Opposition arose from canal operators and local landowners, including the Earl of Derby and the Earl of Sefton.

Legislative Process. A bill was drafted in 1825, including a map of the route. The first bill was rejected, but the second passed as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Act 1826. This Act received royal assent on 5 May 1826, formally authorising the project.

Engineering Parameters. The Act forbade the use of locomotives on the passenger section from Edge Hill to Crown Street and through the Wapping Tunnel. The line's gradient was designed to concentrate steep grades at either side of Rainhill and down to the docks at Liverpool.

People involved

Sources

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