The “last railway mania”: The Light Railways Act of 1896 and local railway construction in Britain

Abstract

The Light Railways Act of 1896 stimulated a new “railway mania” with many local lines being promoted across mainland Britain. Although designed to support transport links to remote agricultural districts and fishing ports, this article explores how the new Act was used to promote a wide range of rural, suburban and industrial railway schemes. It evaluates the nature of the new lines built and the constraints that they faced. Despite the initial “mania”, it is argued here that the legislation was not especially successful in encouraging the construction of a large network of new rural railways. The new Light Railway Commissioners were reluctant to sanction schemes that might provide competition with existing mainline railway companies and conservative interests in the railway industry were reluctant to make the radical changes necessary to substantially reduce the costs of railway construction and operation.