1 MARCH 1856, Page 31

TRAFFIC.

On the 30th June 1854 there were 7803 miles of railway opened in the United Kingdom ; on the 30th June in the following year that total had been increased to 8115. In the half-year ending 30th June 1855 the number of passengers conveyed over these 8115 miles was 51 815 149, made up thus- First Class 7,041,811

Second Class 17,101,1631 Third Class 9,500,998 Parliamentary Class 18,157,766 Holders of Periodical Tickets 13,4104 51,815,149 The first four items represent journeys ; the fifth shows the number of tickets issued, not the journeys made by the holders of them. In the first half of 1854, the total of passengers was 60,367,404.

The London and North-Western conveyed 4,262,892 passengers; the Mid- land, 2,987,144; the North-Eastern, 2,957,712; the Lancashire and York- shire, 2,901,639; the South-Eastern, 2,686 756; the Brighton, 2533,789; the Eastern Counties, 2,271,463 ; the Great Western, 2,187,659 ; the South- Western, 2,165,961; the Great Northern, 864,957; the North London, 2,137,911 ; the Black-wall carried 1,472,103 passengers of its own, but, including those conveyed for the Eastern Counties, the North London, and the Tilbury, no fewer than 3,025,836 persons passed over the rails. The Brighton Railway-which includes Croydon and Epsom-had 1300 season- ticket-holders, paying 13,692/. in the half-year ; South-Western 1171, paying 10,9701.; South-Eastem, 992, paying 13,1921.; North-Western, 972, paying 57201. The total number of season-tickets issued in England and Wales was 9325, producing a revenue for the six months of 76,025/. Of the Scotch Railways, the Caledonian conveyed the largest number of passengers-1,857,967; Glasgow and South-Western, 637,024; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 51%029. The total number of season-tickets was 1960, pro- ducing 5527/. The short line from Dublin to Kingstown stands pre- eminent for number of passengers among the Irish Railways-808,284 ; and of the total of 2125 season-tickets, producing 5638/, this line jawed 1282 tickets2 and received 4024/. Acculents.-In the last six months of 1855 there were 133 persons killed and 286 hurt by accidents on railways in the United Kingdom. Of passen- gers, 18 were killed and 219 hurt ; the remainder of the cases were those of railway-servants, trespassers, and suicides.