Report of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade on the London, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, and on the Birmingham and Shrewsbury Districts

"Report of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade on the London, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, and on the Birmingham and Shrewsbury Districts" by Great Britain's Board of Trade, is a mid-1800s document from 1845 that examines plans for new railways linking major industrial cities. It stresses the importance of better transportation for businesses and the public. The document is centered on a rivalry between railway projects intending to improve travel in specific areas. It talks about how railway lines could help mining and manufacturing areas, especially between Wolverhampton and Worcester. The report talks about the London and Birmingham Company and the Great Western Railway Company, which were competing to build a railway line. It shows how industry preferred railways over canals because they were a faster and cheaper way to transport materials such as coal, iron, and other goods. The report supports the London and Birmingham railway project because it better serves the public and has potential for future growth, while also raising issues about standardizing track widths and managing business competition.