The Impact of the
Railways
By Mr RJ Huggins
Mexborough School
2002
www.SchoolHistory.co.uk
People were able to travel
greater distances for
leisure & to work
Turnpike Trusts,
canals & stage
coach companies
could not compete
& went bankrupt.
Townspeople were
able to receive meat,
fish, milk and
vegetables brought in
whilst they were still
fresh by the railways.
Fish & Chips
Seaside towns
developed; the railways
made cheap day trips
possible
Social &
Economic Impact
of the Railways
Industry grew, because the
railways needed coal & iron;
railways in turn allowed
factories to transport their
goods to markets.
Newspapers could
be sent from
London all over
the country.
People became
more interested in
politics & this led
to the growth of
political parties
Railway
engineering
towns grew up,
E.g. Crewe &
Doncaster.
The Post was
speeded up
First Class Mail
Economic Changes
Railways
cut the cost
of
transporting
goods
How many horses would be needed to transport 40 tons by road?
How did railways create more jobs?
Goods can now be
sold for less.
More people
can afford to
buy these goods
Railways make the
moving of goods
cheaper.
This is called
the Cycle of More people with jobs
means …
Prosperity
More goods are sold
& so more need to
be produced.
Businessmen employ
more workers.
Who benefited from these new jobs?
?
?
?
Social Changes
GMT?
Cultural Changes
What is this woman
doing?
Which famous
books did Charles
Dickens write?
Environmental Changes
Impact on the landscape?
What impact did
the Railways
have on Britain?
How to Structure Your Essay
Introduction
Main Body
Give a brief outline of what you are
to write about using the key words of the
question.
Paragraph on each major change.
What changed, when, where & how?
Conclusion
Summarise your essay using the words
of the question.
What was the most important change?
How do I get a high grade?
• If you simply explain what changes the railways had you
will get either a Level 4 or 5.
• If you write a conclusion that fully explains which was the
most or the least important change then you could get a
Level 6.
• In order to get a Level 7 you must organise the changes
under headings like social, economic and cultural.
• Organise your work with proper paragraphs that start off
with an important point or heading.