Page "Industrial Revolution" Paragraph 84

On 15 September 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened, the first inter-city railway in the world and was attended by Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington.

The railway was engineered by Joseph Locke and George Stephenson, linked the rapidly-expanding industrial town of Manchester with the port town of Liverpool.

The opening was marred by problems, due to the primitive nature of the technology being employed, however problems were gradually ironed out and the railway became highly successful, transporting passengers and freight.

The success of the inter-city railway, particularly in the transport of freight and commodities, led to Railway Mania.