Rail way-Nawalapitiya, sri lanka
If
there was one invention that changed the layout of London more than any
other, it was the steam train and its railway. Almost the entire
railway network, which is still in use today, was established during
Queen Victoria’s reign.
London’s first railway line opened in February 1836 between Spa Road in Bermondsey and Deptford. The extension to the terminus at the south end of London Bridge opened on 14 December 1836 and to Greenwich on 12 April 1840: trains ran along London’s longest viaduct (4 miles) carrying passengers to the delights of Greenwich in just 12 minutes. This slashed the journey time by riverboat or omnibus. No wonder then that around 650,000 passengers travelled the route in its first 15 months.
To build a new railway, you had to demolish a lot of buildings - so it was easier to get approval for lines that ran mainly through poorer areas. This puts the locations of many London railway termini into context. Property was cheaper south of the river, for example, which explains why London Bridge was chosen as the first terminus.
But even the affluent City had to concede the inevitable coming of the railways, and the first permanent City terminus was opened in August 1841 at Fenchurch Street. Around 3,000 people had to be evicted from the East End to make way for this line.
The 1840s saw a railway boom, when permission was sought from Parliament for 19 lines in London, each with its own terminus in the City or Westminster. The idea of one large central station was also considered. In the end, only two of the 19 termini were permitted and in 1846 railway exclusion zones were set up on both sides of the river. Only Waterloo station snuck through the new red tape: with permission already granted before the new ruling, it opened within the southern zone in 1848.
Long distance train travel arrived in London in 1837, with the building of the Euston terminus at the end of the line from Birmingham. Other major termini soon followed, with Paddington opening in 1838, Fenchurch Street in 1841 and King’s Cross in 1850.
The growth of the railways had a dramatic impact on London. It squeezed the City’s residential population out, making way for a major commercial centre. It signalled the end of the old coaching inns. It caused central London traffic to rocket, as passengers travelled across town between termini and into work. (This was eventually alleviated by the construction of London’s Underground system, starting with the Metropolitan Railway.) And the huge termini, and the lines into them, split districts and communities forever.
Railway development stalled in the early 1850s. But not for long. In October 1860, Victoria Station opened, connecting the capital to Brighton and Dover. Before a wider central London exclusion zone could be approved in 1863, permission had been granted for Charing Cross, Ludgate Hill and Cannon Street termini, with bridges bringing trains across the Thames from the south. Thanks to the trains, Londoners’ horizons were broader than ever.
London’s first railway line opened in February 1836 between Spa Road in Bermondsey and Deptford. The extension to the terminus at the south end of London Bridge opened on 14 December 1836 and to Greenwich on 12 April 1840: trains ran along London’s longest viaduct (4 miles) carrying passengers to the delights of Greenwich in just 12 minutes. This slashed the journey time by riverboat or omnibus. No wonder then that around 650,000 passengers travelled the route in its first 15 months.
To build a new railway, you had to demolish a lot of buildings - so it was easier to get approval for lines that ran mainly through poorer areas. This puts the locations of many London railway termini into context. Property was cheaper south of the river, for example, which explains why London Bridge was chosen as the first terminus.
But even the affluent City had to concede the inevitable coming of the railways, and the first permanent City terminus was opened in August 1841 at Fenchurch Street. Around 3,000 people had to be evicted from the East End to make way for this line.
The 1840s saw a railway boom, when permission was sought from Parliament for 19 lines in London, each with its own terminus in the City or Westminster. The idea of one large central station was also considered. In the end, only two of the 19 termini were permitted and in 1846 railway exclusion zones were set up on both sides of the river. Only Waterloo station snuck through the new red tape: with permission already granted before the new ruling, it opened within the southern zone in 1848.
Long distance train travel arrived in London in 1837, with the building of the Euston terminus at the end of the line from Birmingham. Other major termini soon followed, with Paddington opening in 1838, Fenchurch Street in 1841 and King’s Cross in 1850.
The growth of the railways had a dramatic impact on London. It squeezed the City’s residential population out, making way for a major commercial centre. It signalled the end of the old coaching inns. It caused central London traffic to rocket, as passengers travelled across town between termini and into work. (This was eventually alleviated by the construction of London’s Underground system, starting with the Metropolitan Railway.) And the huge termini, and the lines into them, split districts and communities forever.
Railway development stalled in the early 1850s. But not for long. In October 1860, Victoria Station opened, connecting the capital to Brighton and Dover. Before a wider central London exclusion zone could be approved in 1863, permission had been granted for Charing Cross, Ludgate Hill and Cannon Street termini, with bridges bringing trains across the Thames from the south. Thanks to the trains, Londoners’ horizons were broader than ever.
Florida East Coast Railway's ('FECR') story is rich with history,
beginning with an entrepreneurial spirit that pioneered the glory days
of rail travel. The company owes its roots to Henry M. Flagler… a name
synonymous with growth and development for the State of Florida.
Originally an oil man, Flagler had formed the Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler Oil Refinery with John D. Rockefeller and Samuel Andrews in 1868, which later emerged as a joint-stock corporation named Standard Oil. By 1877, Standard Oil was considered the biggest and wealthiest industrial company in the world.
But in Florida, development was slow. In 1878, for example, St. Augustine – the oldest city in the nation – was a city of great potential with no one to harness it. On a personal trip to the city, Flagler found it charming, and realized it would be home to his next venture. Giving up his New York Standard Oil job in 1885, he came back to St. Augustine to fix what he thought were the two main problems: hotels and transportation. After successfully building the Ponce De Leon Hotel, he moved on to creating railways, which begins the Florida East Coast lineage.
Prior to Flagler’s involvement, the first railroad that would eventually become part of FECR was the St. John’s Railway, which opened in 1859 and operated from Tocoi Landing on the St. Johns River to St. Augustine, initially using mules for power. It was also the first abandoned of the predecessor railroads, being taken out of service in 1896.
Flagler bought the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Halifax, and Indian River Railroads that would become, after several name changes, the Florida East Coast Railway in September of 1895. FECR founded West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and, in 1896, Miami, as well as most of the east coast of Florida. Between 1904 and 1912, FEC was responsible for one of the greatest railroad engineering and construction feats in the history of the U.S.: the fabled Key West Extension, which opened with Mr. Flagler's triumphant entry into the island city on January 22, 1912. By 1913, when Flagler died, FECR connected the entire east coast of Florida, from Jacksonville to Key West.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression were particularly harsh on FECR. The railroad declared bankruptcy and was in receivership by September 1931, just 18 years after Flagler’s death. Streamliners plied the rails between 1939 and 1963, including such famous trains as "The Champion" and "The Florida Special" jointly operated with the Atlantic Coast Line.
In 1961, Edward Ball, Chairman of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust (and duPont’s brother- in-law), purchased a majority ownership of FECR via the St. Joe Company. This allowed FECR to emerge from bankruptcy. However, in 1963 union employees of the company commenced a work stoppage that extended in some form into 1975. Failing to reach agreement with its union employees, the company opted for self-help, hired a new work force to replace the striking employees, and discontinued its money-losing passenger operations.
Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) was incorporated in 1983 and became the holding company for FECR and the real estate holdings which were managed by Flagler Development Company, which today is a separate operating company focusing on the commercial real estate market. FECI began operating independently of the St. Joe Company on October 9, 2000. On July 26, 2007, FECI was purchased with private equity funds managed by Fortress Investment Group.
Today, FECR operates from its headquarters in Jacksonville, and it runs on almost the same route Henry Flagler developed. FECR is not only one of America’s most exciting railroads, but has recently undertaken two major infrastructure expansion projects aligned with the PortMiami and Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale).
For further information regarding the history of the Florida East Coast Railway, please see the following books, by Company Historian Seth H. Bramson:
"Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway," published by Firefly Canada
"Florida East Coast Railway" in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of Rail" series
"The Greatest Railroad Story Every Told: The FEC Railway's Key West Extension," published by The History Press of Charleston, SC
Originally an oil man, Flagler had formed the Rockefeller, Andrews and Flagler Oil Refinery with John D. Rockefeller and Samuel Andrews in 1868, which later emerged as a joint-stock corporation named Standard Oil. By 1877, Standard Oil was considered the biggest and wealthiest industrial company in the world.
But in Florida, development was slow. In 1878, for example, St. Augustine – the oldest city in the nation – was a city of great potential with no one to harness it. On a personal trip to the city, Flagler found it charming, and realized it would be home to his next venture. Giving up his New York Standard Oil job in 1885, he came back to St. Augustine to fix what he thought were the two main problems: hotels and transportation. After successfully building the Ponce De Leon Hotel, he moved on to creating railways, which begins the Florida East Coast lineage.
Prior to Flagler’s involvement, the first railroad that would eventually become part of FECR was the St. John’s Railway, which opened in 1859 and operated from Tocoi Landing on the St. Johns River to St. Augustine, initially using mules for power. It was also the first abandoned of the predecessor railroads, being taken out of service in 1896.
Flagler bought the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Halifax, and Indian River Railroads that would become, after several name changes, the Florida East Coast Railway in September of 1895. FECR founded West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and, in 1896, Miami, as well as most of the east coast of Florida. Between 1904 and 1912, FEC was responsible for one of the greatest railroad engineering and construction feats in the history of the U.S.: the fabled Key West Extension, which opened with Mr. Flagler's triumphant entry into the island city on January 22, 1912. By 1913, when Flagler died, FECR connected the entire east coast of Florida, from Jacksonville to Key West.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression were particularly harsh on FECR. The railroad declared bankruptcy and was in receivership by September 1931, just 18 years after Flagler’s death. Streamliners plied the rails between 1939 and 1963, including such famous trains as "The Champion" and "The Florida Special" jointly operated with the Atlantic Coast Line.
In 1961, Edward Ball, Chairman of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust (and duPont’s brother- in-law), purchased a majority ownership of FECR via the St. Joe Company. This allowed FECR to emerge from bankruptcy. However, in 1963 union employees of the company commenced a work stoppage that extended in some form into 1975. Failing to reach agreement with its union employees, the company opted for self-help, hired a new work force to replace the striking employees, and discontinued its money-losing passenger operations.
Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) was incorporated in 1983 and became the holding company for FECR and the real estate holdings which were managed by Flagler Development Company, which today is a separate operating company focusing on the commercial real estate market. FECI began operating independently of the St. Joe Company on October 9, 2000. On July 26, 2007, FECI was purchased with private equity funds managed by Fortress Investment Group.
Today, FECR operates from its headquarters in Jacksonville, and it runs on almost the same route Henry Flagler developed. FECR is not only one of America’s most exciting railroads, but has recently undertaken two major infrastructure expansion projects aligned with the PortMiami and Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale).
For further information regarding the history of the Florida East Coast Railway, please see the following books, by Company Historian Seth H. Bramson:
"Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway," published by Firefly Canada
"Florida East Coast Railway" in Arcadia Publishing's "Images of Rail" series
"The Greatest Railroad Story Every Told: The FEC Railway's Key West Extension," published by The History Press of Charleston, SC
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