Graham Trust talks about the origins of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

Resource Type: Audio | Posted on 5th August 2011 by Liam Physick

Graham Trust explains how William James and Joseph Sandars, frustrated by the high fares charged by the canal companies, decided to build a railway between Liverpool and Manchester, and of how Sanders and his friend John Moss commissioned James to survey the land for this purpose

Interviewee: Graham Trust

Interviewee Gender: Male

Date of Interview: 16th November 2010

Interview Transcript

Graham: James and Sandars, as well as a, a, a very important Manchester merchant whose name I forget (laughs), they were peeved, to say the least, by the exorbitant charges of the canals, two in particular, there was the Bridgewater Canal, and the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company were, which were the canals connecting Liverpool to Manchester.

Jenny: Right.

Graham: James persuaded Sandars that a railway should be built from Liverpool to Manchester to, to try and reduce to time spent to get the freight from the docks of Liverpool to Manchester and also he thought it would reduce substantially the costs of transporting it, so it would be quicker and it would be cheaper, and, and Moss was Joseph Sandars’ friend, and once Sanders had spoken to James, he approached Moss, and between them they authorised James to, to do a survey of the land between Liverpool and Manchester and he was £300 to do that.

Tagged under: liverpool and manchester railway, george stephenson, canals, john moss, bridgewater canal, joseph sandars, surveying, mersey and irwell navigation company, william james

Categorised under: The Station & Railway Pioneers

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