The general tendency for British tramways to partake of a local, even parochial, character was thus accentuated. Within even small but populous areas having several local authorities, horse, steam, and cable tramways were worked as segregated undertak ings under separate management. Moreover, there was no uni formity of gauge in the country; gauges of 4 ft. 8 in., 4 ft. and 3 f t. 6 in. were adopted without regard to the needs of the travel ling public for interconnecting services between towns. The striking example of the adjacent cities of Leeds and Bradford, with gauges of 4 ft. 81 in. and 4 ft. respectively, still exists.
The advent of electric traction in the nineties opened up new opportunities in Britain. With its dense industrial population in a small area, no country was at that time better suited or riper for electric traction on street tramways on a large scale. But this important industrial development suggested and, to some extent, initiated by private enterprise, was to a large extent frustrated by the territorial spirit of local government. However, the need for linking up urban tramway systems, the development of inter mediate townships, and the consequent better distribution of popu lation and industries in a manner similar to that of large and successful street railway systems in the United States, was strongly urged on the Government by Stephen Sellon, a prominent parlia mentary engineer, and others ; with the result that the Light Railways Act of 1896, avoiding many of the imperfections of the Tramways Act of 187o, was passed. The power given to local authorities to veto the promotion of a light railway or tramway disappeared, and the act did not give any option to the local authorities to purchase the undertaking. Section 7 of the act, however, provided that the commissioners who were appointed to administer the act were to satisfy themselves that all reasonable steps had been taken for consulting the local and road authorities affected, and the owners and occupiers of the land proposed to be taken. The commissioners seemed to interpret the Light Rail ways Act in the terms of the old Tramways Act (which is still in force) rather than in the spirit of the departure from it implied by the new act, and included in most of the orders they made an option to the local authorities to purchase the light railway undertaking within their area at the end of a period of 3o years and at subsequent intervals of i o years, the terms of purchase generally to be the fair market value of the undertaking as a going concern. The more equitable provisions of the 1896 act removed some of the conditions in the Act of 187o which had deterred capitalists, and the British Electric Traction Company, Ltd., and other companies, were formed with the object of pro viding and operating urban and interurban systems of tramways and light railways.
Tramways as public utility undertakings have undergone more changes than any other service of public utility, e.g., water, gas, electricity supply, or steam railways. For more than 3o years improvements in rail and track design followed one upon an other, each accompanied by some loss of capital and dislocation of working routine. Rolling stock, too, was remodelled, and many alternative methods of traction were tried and improved or super seded. The greatest change of all—the adoption of electric trac tion—involved the writing off or replacement of many millions of capital in the abandonment of existing horse and steam plant equipments, as well as in the provision of central generating plant, reconstruction of track, and erection of overhead electric lines.
The following table (see Garcke's Manual, 1906, vol. x.) illus trates the relative values of electric, steam, and horse operation in Great Britain:— The benefits arising from the adoption of electric traction have inured more to the advantage of the travelling public than to the promoters and owners of the undertakings. To some extent the comparatively small return of 6.36% on the capital outlay was owing to the heavy cost of construction, but to a larger extent it was in consequence of the policy of reducing the fares to a non profit standard of municipal service. In the matter of fares British and American practice has always differed materially. British fares are usually based on stages or traffic points. The fares are charged at a given rate per mile—pre-war i to miles for a penny; post-war r to i i miles for *I.—with a reduc tion for longer distances; thus producing differential fares ac cording to distances travelled.
The earlier estimates of the cost of construction and working of electric tramways in Great Britain were based largely on the experience of the American and European undertakings then in operation. Some of the pioneer lines were built and worked within the estimates. But as time went on the original estimates were largely exceeded. The overall cost of £9,500 per mile rose to £12,500 per mile, due to superior track construction, more elab orate overhead equipment, use of larger cars, street widenings, and higher cost of road paving imposed upon tramway undertakings. The operating costs instead of being 5.3od. per car mile, began to average over 64d. per car mile, by reason of increased rates of wages and of greater wear and tear of track and equipment than was contemplated.
Subjoined are financial and statistical data relating to electric tramways and light railways in Great Britain in 1913-14 and 1926-27, taken from official sources:— Note.—A number of undertakings belonging to companies were acquired by local authorities between the periods covered by these statistics.