イギリス鉄道業の発展と輸送 (工業化と輸送)

概要

論文の詳細を見る
This paper aims to clarify the role of English railways in carrying passengers and freight during the course of industrialisation. English railways were originally constructed to carry goods, defying the high, monopolistic fees of existing transport means such as canals, navigable rivers and roads. But passenger revenues in railway companies accounted for more than half of total income by the early 1850s, because the existing modes of goods transport were able to comete against railways by reducing their charges or tolls temporarily. Meanwhile, the English transport system was was gradually reorganised centering on the railways and with the other methods of transport in a subsidiary position. This brought about a large increase in the freight revenues of the railways. Indeed the percentage of passenger revenues decreased gradually, although it should be noted that the rate of growth in the number of third-class passengers was remarkable. As for freight traffic, different methods of analysis have been used in this paper for different items of transport. Coal, which was the main product conveyed by train, is discussed in terms of the competition among railway companies and between coastal shipping lines and railways, using tables of freight charges. Corn transport did not occupy an especially large part of the railways' role in carrying home and foreign products. Cattle was an important component of railway freight and its transport is analysed by cattle breeding districts and the several ports importing cattle to London, the largest consumer market. Railways also made easier the introduction of packaged meats. Furthermore, this paper discusses the mechanism of railway charges. These were decided first by Parliament, for example parliamentary trains, transport of army forces and mail, and secondly by the competition among railway companies and other transport methods. As a result, rate tables and charges became very complicated to compute, involving a huge number of items, although the general principle remained that English railways were made to serve as public utilities rather than as private companies pursuing their own profits. This intentionally equalized differences in circumstances among commercial users as much as possible, resulting in the differential rate. Lastly, the relation between traders or merchants and English railways is examined by using statistics on annual changes in freight rates, including comparisons with other countries. Comparatively speaking, passenger fares slightly declined each year, and the English freight rates were just a little higher than in other European countries or the U. S. A., but English traders enjoyed many more services such as more frequent scheduling and marketing advice or informations. Therefore, one can conclude that the English railway system was, as a whole, not unfavourable to traders, yet it prevented the dynamic development of the railway companies as commercial enterprises.
社会経済史学会の論文
1983-02-25

イギリス鉄道業の発展と輸送 (工業化と輸送)

スポンサーリンク

概要

著者

関連論文

スポンサーリンク