Page:The Working and Management of an English Railway.djvu/264

 The public, however, it is to be feared, are far from realising how much the companies have done for them, or how the conditions of railway transit, both for passengers and merchandise, have been revolutionised in their favour in these modern times, without the companies reaping any additional remuneration, the maximum tolls being now precisely what they were when the railways were first authorised, while in every other respect the scene has entirely changed. The stations, which were once of the most primitive description, consisting of little more than a platform and an office, have been replaced by costly and elaborate structures, replete with every kind of accommodation, and erected at a large expense; the trains are luxuriously fitted up with every modern appliance for comfort and convenience, and run at a rate of speed never dreamt of in the earlier days; the merchandise is carried in express goods trains from one end of the country to the other within the twenty-four hours; vast sums have been spent in providing warehouses and depots, machinery and appliances, where, in the old days, the companies simply took their tolls for the use of the rails and left others to find the accommodation; and yet, for all these advantages, they exact no increased payment. On the contrary, during the last few years great concessions have been made to the traders in the matter of rates; and wherever, it has been shown that a particular industry could be, developed or created by the quotation of low rates, or the granting of any other facilities, the companies have always been willing to meet the case in a liberal spirit, recognising the fact that in so doing they were consulting their own best interests as well as those of the public.