RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Monday, 14th November 1848. Sui—As I hold it to be a duty to the public to expose through the means of the press the irregularities of railway travelling, may I beg of you to publish the accompanying statement. I took tickets at Carlisle on Saturday the 11th instant, for a train which was advertised to leave at 4 15 p.m, and to arrive at Gateshead at 7 30 p.m., in time for a train on to Durham at 8 p. m., whither I was going: the train, however, did not leave Carlisle until about 4 40 p.m., and did not reach Gateshead, owing to the slowness of its pace and its long stoppages, until 8 30 p. m.,—one hour after its advertised time of arrival, and thirty minutes too late for the Durham train. I had therefore to stop all night at Gateshead; not choosing, as I was accompanied by ladies, to leave by the 11 p.m. train, and so arrive at my destination in the middle of the night. Now, putting out of the question the inconveniences and expense to private in, divide:1s of such unpunctuatity—and I certainly consider that railway comFenies like the coach-proprietors of old, should be made liable for the results ot their own mismanagements—there can be no doubt that much unnecessary danger to passengers must be the consequence of such irregularities; to which, I dare say, most of the many accidents that have lately happened upon this line might be traced. The station at the Carlisle terminus is certainly the worst I have seen in any part of the world. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, A PASSENGER.
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