FIFTY MILES IN TWENTY MINUTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1618, 4 March 1903, Page 15

FIFTY MILES IN TWENTY MINUTES.

A NEW BAILWAY SCHEME. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, January 9. Two years ago Londoners were delighted by the publication of the details of a scheme whereby Brighton—the week-end Mecca of mind-weary metropolitans.—was to be brought within half an hour’s journey by rail of Victoria. We were to have an electric railway running in a straight line to the famous South Coast waterng place via Clapham and Croyd-on, upon which we could safely travel at the rate of 100 miles an hour. But that pleasant dream of Brighton as near London in point of time as "’Appy ’AmpsteatL” or Putney has not been realised, and the scheme is dead. A few days agO ! another project found publicity, namely, an electric railway on Mr Behr’s mono-rail system whereby Londoners may later on reach their Saturday to Monday Mecca in twenty minutes. "The London and Brighton Electric Express Railway,” which will be brought to the notice of our Parliament next session, is promoted by a powerful syndicate, of which Mi* Behr xs said to be the leading spirit. This enterprise contemplates two railways, with a total length of about fifty miles. The first Tine would start from Clai'e street. Strand, and terminate near the Waterloo road, about three-quarters of a mile away; and the second, beginning at Lambeth by a junction with the first, finishes in Brighton. The capital powers sought by the company amount to .£4,500,000, and the estimate of the cost is <£4,394,927. According to the scheme, there will he two classes, the maximum fares being 2d per mile in the first and Id per mile in the second case, and it is claimed that

a- speed of 120 miles an hour can; be easily achieved. In 1901 Parliament authorised “the Manchester and Liverpool Electric Express,” pn the Behr system. It was agreed at the time that this railway being in the nature of an experiment,#no undertakings of a similar kind would be authorised until the Manchester and Liverpool line had proved a success. That line is not yet built. In these circumstances the promoters of the Brighton project will certainly find great difficulty in persuading Parliament to give them the necessary power, and before they proceed with their Bill they must deposit nearly <£220,000 with the Paymastex-Gen-eral as a guarantee that they intend to carry out the scheme. The deposit has not been made yet, and in view of the strenuous opposition which will meet the Bill from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company, who are now making arrangements to introduce electric traction on their lines, it is to be feared that Messrs Behr and Co. will conclude to abandon their project. If so—well, "more’s the pity.”