The first railway murder took place in 1864 on train travelling from Fenchurch Street towards Hackney on the North London Railway and caused a great deal of public concern about travel safety. Railway stations were often packed and busy which made theft easier. The first carriages were unlit and unconnected by corridors, so there were cases of lone travellers being robbed or attacked. However, with more people and goods on the move, trains and railway stations arguably, offered new opportunities for crime. Of course, the railway network also stimulated the coal and iron industries but led to the decline of the canal system. The mobility of labour and maintenance of law and order were made easier. A standardized time was introduced across Britain as trains were timetabled. Increased communication allowed for the spread of ideas and national newspapers. Dairy produce and fish could be delivered easily to different parts of the country within hours. The distance between town and countryside was erased. The railway system offered new chances for travel, holidays, transporting goods, developing businesses and the growth of towns and cities. In 1870, 423 million passengers travelled on 16,000 miles of track, and by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign over 1100 million passengers were using trains. £3 billion was spent on building the railways from 1845 to 1900. In the 1840s ‘Railway Mania’ saw a frenzy of investment and speculation. In Victorian times, Britain’s railway network grew rapidly.
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