| Year ending | June, | 1845 | 8,851,662 |
| „ | „ | 1846 | 10,770,712 |
| „ | „ | 1847 | 12,126,574 |
| „ | „ | 1848 | 14,499,730 |
| „ | „ | 1849 | 16,313,760 |
These figures afford some criterion as to the class or character of the travelling millions who are the supporters of the railways.
The official table presents another curious characteristic. The originators of railways, prior to the era of the opening of the Manchester and Liverpool, depended for their dividends far more upon the profits they might receive in the capacity of common carriers, upon the conveyance of manufactured goods, minerals, or merchandise, than upon the transit of passengers. It was the property in canals and in heavy carriage that would be depreciated, it was believed, rather than that in the stage-coaches. Even on the Manchester and Liverpool, the projectors did not expect to realise more than 20,000l. a-year by the conveyance of passengers. The result shows the fallacy of these computations, as the receipts for passengers for the year ending June, 1849, exceeded the receipts from “cattle, goods, parcels, and mails,” by 1,011,050l. In districts, however, which are at once agricultural and mineral, the amount realised from passengers falls short of that derived from other sources. Two instances will suffice to show this: The Stockton and Darlington is in immediate connexion with the district where the famous short-horn cattle were first bred by Mr. Collins, and where they are still bred in high perfection by eminent agriculturists. It is in connexion, moreover, with the coal and lead-mining districts of South Durham and North Yorkshire, the produce being conveyed to Stockton to be shipped. For the last year, the receipts from passengers were 8000l. and odd, while for the conveyance of cattle, coal, &c., no less than 62,000l. was paid. From their passengers the Taff Vale, including the Aberdale Railway Company, derived, for the same period, in round numbers, an increase of 6500l., and from their “goods” conveyance, 45,941l. In neither instance did the passengers pay one-seventh as much as the “goods.”
I now present the reader with two “summaries” from returns made to Parliament. The first relates to the number and description of persons employed on railways in the United Kingdom, and the second to the number and character of railway accidents.
Concerning the individuals employed upon the railways, the Table on the opposite page contains the latest official information.
Of the railways in full operation, the London and North-Western employs the greatest number of persons, in its long and branching extent of 477 miles, 35¼ chains, with 153 stations. The total number employed is 6194, and they are thus classified:—
| Secretaries or managers | 8 |
| Engineers | 5 |
| Superintendents | 40 |
| Storekeepers | 8 |
| Accountants or cashiers | 4 |
| Inspectors or timekeepers | 83 |
| Draughtsmen | 11 |
| Clerks | 775 |
| Foremen | 130 |
| Engine-drivers | 334 |
| Assistant-drivers or firemen | 318 |
| Guards or breaksmen | 207 |
| Artificers | 1891 |
| Switchmen | 363 |
| Gatekeepers | 76 |
| Policemen or watchmen | 241 |
| Porters or messengers | 1456 |
| Platelayers | 14 |
| Labourers | 30 |
On the Midland there were employed 4898 persons; on the Lancashire and Yorkshire, 3971; Great Western, 2997; Eastern Counties, 2939; Caledonian, 2409; York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 2731; London and South-Western, 2118; London, Brighton, and South-Coast, 2053; York and North Midland, 1614; North British, 1535; and South-Eastern, 1527. Thus the twelve leading companies retain permanently in their service 35,735 men, supplying the means of maintenance, (reckoning that a family of three is supported by each man employed) to 122,940 individuals. Pursuing the same calculation, as 159,784 men were employed on all the railways “open and unopen,” we may conclude that 739,136 individuals were dependent, more or less, upon railway traffic for their subsistence.
TOTAL NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON RAILWAYS.
| Total number of persons employed upon railways open for traffic on the 30th June, 1849 | Total number of persons employed upon railways not open for traffic on the 30th June, 1849 | Total number and description of persons employed on all railways (open and unopen) authorised to be used for the conveyance of passengers | |
| Secretaries and Managers. | 156 | 142 | 298 |
| Treasurers. | 32 | 7 | 39 |
| Engineers. | 107 | 269 | 376 |
| Superintendents. | 314 | 419 | 733 |
| Storekeepers. | 120 | 182 | 302 |
| Accountants and Cashiers. | 138 | 144 | 282 |
| Inspectors and Timekeepers. | 490 | 821 | 1311 |
| Station Masters. | 1300 | — | 1300 |
| Draughtsmen. | 103 | 153 | 256 |
| Clerks. | 4021 | 421 | 4442 |
| Foremen. | 709 | 1421 | 2130 |
| Engine Drivers. | 1839 | — | 1839 |
| Assistant Engine Drivers and Firemen. | 1871 | — | 1871 |
| Guardsmen and Breaksmen. | 1631 | — | 1631 |
| Switchmen. | 1540 | — | 1540 |
| Gatekeepers. | 1361 | — | 1361 |
| Policemen or Watchmen. | 1508 | 481 | 1989 |
| Porters and Messengers. | 8238 | 118 | 8356 |
| Platelayers. | 5508 | — | 5508 |
| Artificers. | 10,809 | 16,144 | 26,953 |
| Labourers. | 14,829 | 83,052 | 97,081 |
| Miscellaneous employment. | 144 | 42 | 186 |
| Total. | 55,968 | 103,816 | 159,784 |