Class C.—Estimate of Traffic.
Captain C. Richard Moorsom, R.N.—P.47.
1. Have you made a calculation of the number of persons travelling by coach on the roads near the proposed Railroad?
I have.
2. Founded on the Stamp Office returns?
Founded on the Stamp Office List of licensed coaches.
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Notes explanatory of the preceding Table.
1. That coaches now run between London and the places specified in the first column. — Stamp Office Returns.
2. That they make the number of journeys per week mentioned in the second column. — Stamp Office Returns.
3. That the average number of passengers in each journey is nine for the coaches and five for the mails, being the numbers mentioned in the third column.
4. That, consequently, the number of passengers per week between London and the places mentioned in the first column is the number stated in the fourth column.
5. That the number of miles now travelled by each coach each journey (not including any distance beyond Birmingham) is that which is stated in the fifth column.
6. That reason, and the experience of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, show that all passengers will travel the whole or a part of their journey on the Railway whenever they can save time and expense by doing so.
7. That in all the journeys mentioned in the first column, time and expense will be saved to passengers by their joining the Railway at some part of its course, instead of proceeding by the present roads now in use.
8. That the places at which it will be most convenient for passengers performing the journeys mentioned in the first column, to join or leave the Rail-ay by existing roads, will be the places mentioned in the sixth column.
9. That upon this principle the number of miles on the Railway which will be travelled by each passenger in each of the journeys mentioned in the first column will be the number mentioned in the seventh column.
10. That the aggregate number of miles on the Railway which will be travelled by the passengers in each of the journeys mentioned in the first column will amount per week (by multiplying the number in the fourth column by the number in the seventh column) to the number mentioned in the eighth column.
11. That, consequently, the aggregate number of miles on the Railway travelled by the passengers in all the journeys mentioned in the first column will amount per week to 569,808 miles, and for the whole year to 29,630,016 miles.
12. That if the charge for travelling on the Railway be 2d. per head per mile, the gross annual income of the Railway from passengers only, who now go by public conveyances, will be 2.16,9161l. 16s.
4. What is the result of that calculation in money?
246,916l. 16s.
5. Have you also an estimate of what the result would be if a duty was to be levied on Railroad carriages, corresponding with that now levied on coaches on the common road?
If a duty was levied on them corresponding with the duty paid to government on coaches, it would amount to a farthing per head per mile, which would be a gross sum of 31,000l, a year on that calculation.
6. If a duty was imposed, the 31,000l, would have to be deducted from the 246,000l.?
No; I apprehend that charge would be additional to the charge put down there. It would make a difference of 2s. 6d, or 3s, on the cost to an individual going from Birmingham to London.