Railway Tunnels-Railways in 1885-Railways Opened in 1885. 603 their construction, yielding an annual return of RAILWAY TUNNELS Severn Woodhead Bramhope Medway Box..... Lancashire & Yorksh. Yards 5,342 5,297 3,745 3,740 3,600 3,227 2,869 ..... 2,759 North Western Manchester & Shefd. North Eastern South Eastern South Eastern Great Western Littleborough. Sapperton Great Western Polehill. South Eastern Mersey Mersey. Bleamoor Midland 2,700 paratively unsatisfactory to railway shareholders. There was a further decrease of net earnings and of dividends to be recorded. The diminution arose in less part from goods traffic than it did in the previous year, but there was still some diminution of goods traffic, and which for the two years is considerable, while the fact of diminution being so long continued, there being a further falling off in the current year, A diminution in working expenses has comis itself unusual in English railway history. pensated the shareholders to some extent for a diminution of traffic receipts, but not altogether. Notwithstanding the somewhat unsatisfacthere is again an increase in the amount of tory state of business for the past year or two, capital invested to be taken note of. The increase is of somewhat smaller amount than for the last two or three years, having been £14,000,000, whereas in the previous year it was £16,000,000, and in 1882 was over £22,oco,000. The increase is still considerable, seeing that for a year or two the earnings of the companies have rather been diminishing than otherwise. The proportions of the different descriptions of capital remain as before, viz., ordinary 37 per cent., guaranteed and preference 38 per cent., and debentures 25 2,018 per cent. It was remarked, as usual, that one year with another the dividends on the various descriptions of capital remain at about the steadiness of the proportions of the different same rates. This is due to the fact of the descriptions of capital to each other, and the slight amount of change in the net earnings. A diminution is unfavourable, especially to the ordinary shareholders, on whom the loss almost exclusively falls. During the last two years the average dividend on ordinary capital has fallen materially, although the average percentage of 2,423 2,420 2,250 2,116 2,000 1,830 1,813 1,800 net earnings on the total capital cannot be said to have been seriously affected. The traffic receipts of the year show a total decrease of £900,00c, made up of a decrease of £800,000 in goods traffic and £200,000 in passenger traffic, compensated in part by an increase of £100,000 in miscellaneous receipts, the latter due in a great measure to the railway share of the Parcels Post revenue. The diminution of railway earnings was rather more serious in 1885 than it was in 1884. Contrary to the experience of 1884, when the decline was mainly in the mineral traffic, the decline is now mainly in the general merchandise receipts. The question of course arises, whether the decline is to be attributed to a falling off of business, or merely to a diminution of rates charged for the same business. It is not quite so clear as it was a year ago that there has been some diminution of actual business. This diminution was then apparent on an examination of the tonnage of goods and minerals conveyed compared with returns as to the quantity of pig-iron and coal produced in the United Kingdom, and the quantity of iron ore imported into the United Kingdom. But although the diminution in 1884 as compared with 1883 has not been made up in 1885, still there is no evidence of any serious further diminution, but rather the reverse, Having regard to the genern 1 mineral statistics of the United Kingdom, the diminution in receipts from mineral traffic may be assumed to be a decrease due, almost exclusively, to the diminution in the charges for conveyance. Broadly speaking, it may be said that the figures for the last two years show a certai decline in business done both in mineral and general merchandise traffic, but the decline was most marked in minerals in the year 1884, and in the case of general merchandise in the year 1885. As regards passenger traffic, it is noticed that the diminution which has taken place is alm exclusively in first and second class. The th class receipts, although they have fallen of have diminished only slightly, this hem accordance with the experience of a good nat years back. For the first time a difference is made by the fact of there being an actual decrease in the third class receipts, but the dechu is less marked than in the other classes where as had often been noticed, the decline has beet going on for some time. The preponderance of third class traffic continues to be more and more marked. The receipts per train mile from all kinds of RAILWAY PASSENGER TRAFFIC. Statement of the Receipts in each Class from Passengers upon the undermentioned Lines, (Exclusive of Season Tickets.) YEAR. First Second Third Class. Class. Class. 1882 First Second Third Class. Class. Class. £ £ £ £ £ 1873 222,695 217,752 512,924 425,234 476,925 1874 228,231 220,587 539,690 422,761 506,043 1875 231,759 201,648 590,131 417,120 514,542 1876 217,900 189,220 614,446 477,979 694,460 1877 210,223 185,403 643,475 445,751 676,819 1878 200,980 185,361 659,624 413,828 676,552 1879 188,180 176,326 665,253 380,642 677,543 1,510,493 568,502 452,386 1,854,164 318,312 1880 186,962 177,793 711,298 379,143 710,288 1,578,891 567,849 439,106 1,960,441 320,579 1881 180,753 130,448 785,626 344,555 678,442 1,535,947 560,285 417,324 2,017,100 06,674 179,566 125,000 834,416 363,107 706,556 1,769,060 553,183 398,130 2,166,422 297,434 1883 174,863 120,453 852,059 347,073 672,262 1,863,785 563,787 397,579 2,255,223 29.175 1881 167,295 114,845 882,886 326,812 537,483 2,036,521 534,591 389,648 2,305,504 280,926 1883 162,032 | 99,603 885,782 298,787 504,125 2,045,137 500,833 361,550 2,290,883 259,721 LONDON & NORTH WESTERN. First Second Third Class. Class. Class. MIDLAND First Second Th Class Class Class 1,536,348 1,556,393 619,205 495,340 650,076 519,442 1,885,231 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,124,657 · 750,499 557,200 1,651,260 206,878 184,40 1,200,523 759,969 561,755 1,708,045 227,030 190,363 1,049 1,211,664 729,648 549,295 1,762,576 384,567 1,499,852 681,783 538,435 1,819,096 394,517 1,895,481 367,473 1.38.7 The Midland Railway Company took the initiative in passenger traffic reforms, having run third-class car by all trains from 1st April, 1872; afterwards, from 1st January, 1875, greatly reducing the first-class and a second-class fares. 1875 6,542,670 11,412,836 2,590,088 484,843 328,987 1,719.588 486,008 299.454 1,586,300 596,216 391,828 1,786,143 607,169 315.013 1,543-457 1,977,089 659.955 301,777 1,527,251 11,335,647 2,125,508 585.335 256,202 1,604,322 338 400,014 33.15 32,045 £ £ 1,171.452 1,208,905 30.752 33.22 1,608,658 31 238,283 1,622,957 219,845 1,562,739 277,132 1,710,809 33.5.1 34.62 Railway Accidents. traffle again show a diminution last year as compared with the previous year. Altogether there is a decrease of nearly 1d. per train mile, while the diminution as compared with a period of eleven years amounts to about 9d. per train mile. There seems no doubt, therefore, that both in passengers and goods, but chiefly in passengers, railway companies are doing more work for the public than they formerly did for the same money. A considerable reduction of working expenditure is to be set against the diminution of traffic receipts. The amount of the decrease is over £400,000, 8o that finally the net earnings are diminished by £537,000 only. This decrease in working expenditure has again taken place along with an increase in the train mileage run, so that the cost per train mile again shows a diminution, viz., from 31°59d. in 1884 to 30°93d. in 1885. This decrease in working expenditure per train mile has been going on for several years. In every item, except rates and taxes, a marked diminution is shown. The changes in the items of expenditure help to justify the statement that there has been a general decline in money prices and wages during the last ten years. 605 actually more than one-eighth less than it was in 1893, and is very little more than it was in the former year of great depression, viz., in 1879. Allowing that the period is a depressed one, the result may not be considered very unsatisfactory to railway shareholders. The minimum is no lower than it was in 1879, and if the present period of depression is followed by years like 1880 and 1883 those interested in railway companies will be able to put the good years against the bad. It is also a matter for satisfaction that the falling off in business indicated by the figures is still not very considerable, although the fact of the falling off being so long continued is somewhat unusual. It remains to be seen to what extent the year 1886 will show a further decline on the whole, or an improvement compared with its predecessor. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. To the public generally one of the most interesting points in connection with the working of the railways is the increased immunity from accident, as evidenced by the great decline for a considerable number of years past in the charges paid by the companies by way of compensation for personal injury to passengers. In 1875 the cost per train mile of compensation for personal injury was o'44d., whereas in 1885 it was o'11d. only per train mile. In loss and damage of goods, similarly, the cost in 1875 was equal to o'32d., whereas in 1885 it was o'16d, only per train mile. One of the chief causes of increase of cost in railway working in the period has been the general adoption of the block system, and of the system of interlocking points and signals, on which the Board of Trade have insisted. But against any direct increase of expenditure from this cause there may fairly be set this reduction in the item of compensation from injuries. The reduction, in fact, represents almost a pure gain to the railway companies. The decrease in net earnings is so considerable as to affect seriously the dividends on ordinary capital, which has to bear not only the loss of net earnings but the increased payments that have to be made on account of the annual interest on the additional guaranteed, preferential, and debenture capital. As a consequence, while the net earnings on capital declined last year from 4'16 to 4'02 per cent., the dividends paid on ordinary capital declined from 4'34 to 4'04 per cent., the decline in the dividend paid on ordinary capital since 1882 being from 4'73 per cent. The dividend on ordinary capital would have further declined but for the fact that on the whole the ordinary shareholder during the last few years has been benefiting by the The general report of the Board of Trade upon reduction in the rate of interest on other de- the accidents which occurred upon the railways scriptions of capital. The rate on preferential of the United Kingdom during the year 1885 and guaranteed capital has in fact steadily de-shows that the total number of persons killed clined since 1880 from 4*35 to 4'17 per cent., and in the working of the railways during the year the rate on debenture stocks has also been was 957, and the number of injured 3,467. declining. The bulk of the ordinary capital of Of these numbers, 102 killed and 1,129 injured railway companies receives dividends ranging were passengers, but of these only 6 were killed between 3 and 7 per cent., the amount of such and 436 injured in consequence of accidents to capital being in fact over 70 per cent. of the or collisions between trains; the deaths of the total. remaining 96 passengers and the injuries to 693 were due to a variety of other causes, but more The rate of dividend on ordinary capital is, ACCIDENTS TO PASSENGER TRAINS IN 1885, INVOLVING LOSS OF LIFE AND SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY. 1885. Company. Nature of Accident. At Passengers. Servants. Killed. Injur'd Killed. Injur'd January 1 M. S. & L. Coll. exc. train with coal wagon Penistone. January 17 B. & M. May 19.... June 30 July 31 Garth... Pass, train collided with buffers Ballyclare August 3.. 3 2 18 especially to a want of caution on the part of the individuals themselves. Of the remainder, 451 killed and 2,117 injured were officers or servants of the companies or of contractors; of suicides there were 51; of trespassers, 250 were killed and 126 injured; of persons passing over the railway at level crossings, 58 were killed and 21 injured; and of other persons from miscellaneous causes, 41 were killed and 74 injured. In addition to the above, 40 persons were killed and 3.555 were injured from accidents on the companies' premises, which cannot be considered as "railway accidents," as they were not connected with the movement of railway vehicles. The proportions of passengers killed and injured during the year from all causes were one in 6,835,421 killed, and one in 617,549 injured. These are by far the lowest numbers ever recorded; while those killed and injured from causes beyond their own control are also very much less than in any previous year. and other accidents, 9. Not a single accident is recorded for the last three years from trains meeting in opposite directions, nor from collisions at level crossings of two railways, nor from trains on fire. Forty-one accidents were attributed to negligence, want of care, or mistakes, 13 to inadequate or unsuitable brake power, 8 to defective arrangements of signals, points, or locking apparatus; 7 to defective construction of road or works, and 7 to excessive, speed. Of the 60 investigated accidents, 7 occurred on the London and North-Western, 4 on the Caledonian, 4 on the Great Western, and 3 each on the Great Eastern, Great Southern and Western, Metropolitan, Metropolitan District, and Midland. General accidents to ser vants of railway companies show that 36 were killed and 267 were injured whilst employed in coupling and uncoupling vehicles; 102 were killed and 969 injured whilst employed in ' various shunting operations, 12 were killed and 59 injured by falling between the train and platform; 107 were killed and 126 injured whilst working on the permanent way and sidings; and 79 were killed and 108 injured whilst walking, crossing, or standing on the line, on duty. There has been a steady decrease during the past twelve years in the proportion of servants killed and injured to the number employed. In 1885 the proportions were 1 in 768 killed and 1 in 163 injured, whereas in 1875 the proportions were 1 in 334 killed and 1 in 70 injured. An idea of the relative amount of risk run by the various RAILWAY SPEED. The number of inquiries directed by the Board of Trade has also considerably decreased, 60 accidents having been reported upon by the inspecting officers as compared with 105 in the previous year. Each head under which accidents are classified has declined. From engines or vehicles meeting with obstructions or leaving the rails, or from defects in permanent way or works, there were 7 accidents; from boiler explosions, failures of axles, or other defects in, the rolling stock, 6; trains entering stations at too great a speed, 4; collisions of all kinds, 34; THE FASTEST RUNNING, WITHOUT STOPPAGE, IS MADE BY THE COMPANIES AS UNDER: THE LONGEST RUNS WITHOUT STOPPAGE ARE MADE BY THE COMPANIES AS UNDER NOTE. The greatest performance in running is probably that of the "Charles Dickens," an engine belonging to the London and North Western Company, which runs from Manchester to Euston and back daily, Sundays, &c., excepted. It is worked by two drivers, who take charge on alternate days. The daily run is 367 miles. Block System-Continuous Breaks-Compensation-Cheap Trains Act. 607 classes of railway servants will be gathered effects mitigated had the trains been fitted with from a statement on page 609. The accidents to persons other than passengers or servants appear also to be on the decrease. Such accidents are generally due to the want of caution on the part of the persons themselves, but it is a question whether if better gates and fences were provided and more stringent rules enforced so great a loss of life need occur. It is observed generally that the large decrease in the number of accidents and collisions, and in the number of casualties to passengers and servants which has taken place in the working of the traffic during the past year, is due to the continued care and attention of the officers and servants of the companies, to the laying of additional lines of way, the enlarging and rearranging of stations, the extension of the interlocking and block systems, the adoption, as yet only experimentally, of electrical contrivances for the prevention of mistakes in block working, and lastly, the larger use of continuous brakes on passenger trains. The Board of Trade continue to call special attention to two points, viz., the block system, and efficient continuous brakes. As regards the block system it seems that, while much progress has been made, there are still deficiencies, especially in Scotland and Ireland. There appears to be no satisfactory reason why it should not at once be fully adopted upon all passenger lines. As regards continuous brakes, although considerable progress has been made in the adoption of new and improved brakes, it is still observed that the employment of such brakes is far from universal; that where new brakes have been adopted, or are being adopted, they frequently do not comply with the essential conditions which have been so often laid down; and above all, that the different companies, instead of employing one uniform brake possessing those conditions, are adopting different brakes, so that those brakes become inefficient on trains in which, as is necessarily now so common, the rolling stock is interchanged and mingled. BLOCK SYSTEM. The amount of progress that has been made in the adoption of the absolute block and interlocking systems is considerable. The proporton in which the signal and point levers had been interlocked was 91 per cent. in England, 77 per cent. in Scotland, and 49 per cent. in Ireland. The amount both of block and interlocking on some railways in England and Scotland is, however, still short of what is necessary for safe working; whilst in Ireland it may be said that the progress made is far from satisfactory. It appears that since 1873, when 6,217 miles out of 16,082 miles ther. opened were so worked, the block system has been largely extended, and that at the end of 1885 this system had been adopted on 14,185 miles out of 18,069 miles open for traffic. The proportions of line worked on the block system at the end of 1885 were 90 per cent. in England, 80 per cent. in Scotland, and 20 per cent. in Ireland. CONTINUOUS BRAKES. In several cases the good effects of continuous brakes have been specially mentioned, whilst in other cases the accidents and collisions might, according to the statements in the reports of inquiries, have been either prevented or their quickly-acting continuous brakes, automatic in their action, instead of those with which the trains were fitted. It appears that 41,747 vehicles used in passenger trains had been fitted either with continuous brakes or with pipes only for running with vehicles so fitted, and that 9,500 vehicles remain to be so fitted. Brakes apparently complying with the conditions laid down by the Board of Trade are fitted to 25,292, or 50 per cent. of the vehicles running in passenger trains. Those only complying with some of the conditions are fitted to 16,455, or 32 per cent. The application of continuous brakes of the various descriptions has increased from 19 per cent, in 1878 to 82 per cent. in 1885, or at an average rate per annum of about 7 per cent. RAILWAY COMPENSATION. It is satisfactory to have to record a continued steady decline in the amount paid by way of compensation for personal injury to passengers. There is not a single company of any importance that has not claims constantly coming in for the most trivial injury, nevertheless the total is not more than half what it was a few years ago. A summary of the amounts paid last year by the principal companies, and the amount of compensation paid for the loss and damage of goods is as follows:- |