Roads and railways
Whenever you travel along a road or a railway you are benefiting from something which was considered in, or initiated by, Parliament.
Members needed to be satisfied that a road or railway project was feasible, in both engineering and financial terms and it was needed by the area it was to serve. Also, that it did not unnecessarily interfere with private interests or public rights and that any harm to these was outweighed by the likely benefits.
Find out about the impact of the South Eastern Railway on the village of Marden, Kent, in our Connecting with Communities case study.
Explore a sample of records from the Parliamentary Archives relating to roads and railways
- Evidence on the Chester and Birkenhead Railway Bill
- George Stephenson's estimate of expense of the Black Boy branch
- Map of the present and proposed mail roads between Holyhead and Bangor Ferry
- Estimate for the cost of Holyhead Road and Menai Bridge
- Opposed Private Bill Committee Evidence from Isambard Kingdom Brunel
- Plan of the intended Railway or Tramroad from Stockton by Darlington
- Estimate for Strathspey Road to Nethy Road by Thomas Telford
When did Parliament first consider a petition to levy road tolls? Key dates on the road to a modern transport infrastructure
From turnpikes to Crossrail Parliament and transport in a modern context
Additional reference material for more in depth research on the history of transport legislation in Britain
How Parliament has helped shape transport infrastructure from the 13th century until the present day