Overview
On July 26, 1803, the Surrey Iron Railway opened its first 8¼-mile section between Wandsworth and Croydon, passing through Mitcham, with a branch from Mitcham to Hackbridge. Authorized by Parliament in 1801, the line was a horse-drawn narrow-gauge plateway rather than a locomotive railway. It operated as a toll road on rails, allowing independent carriers to move goods using their own horses and wagons. Coal, lime, building materials, manure, corn, and seeds formed much of its traffic. The opening gave communities in Surrey — now part of south London — a new overland freight route and marked an early stage in the development of public rail transport in Britain. Although initially successful, the railway later faced competition from the Croydon Canal and closed in 1846.
Quick Facts
- Date
- July 26, 1803