The Tramways Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict c 78) was an important step in the development of urban transport in United Kingdom. Street tramways had originated in the United States, and were introduced to UK by George Francis Train in the 1860s, the first recorded installation being a short line from Woodside Ferry to Birkenhead Park in the town of

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liv ...

. However, when Train started laying lines on top of the highway in London, he was arrested and fined, although he thought he had obtained official permission. The Act attempted to promote this new means of transport by clarifying and regulating the legal position. It authorised local

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

or urban district councils to grant a 21-year concession to a private tramway operator. The operator could construct the track as part of the concession but was responsible for the repair of the public highway between the tracks and a short distance either side. The local authority could construct the track themselves if they wished to retain complete control of the highway, but they were not allowed to operate

trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ar ...

. At the conclusion of the lease, the local authority could purchase the complete undertaking, including the trams and horses (or, in the case of a

steam tramway A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

, the locomotives and trailers). This was at a normal

asset valuation In finance, valuation is the process of determining the present value (PV) of an asset. In a business context, it is often the hypothetical price that a third party would pay for a given asset. Valuations can be done on assets (for example, inv ...

, which took account of

depreciation In accountancy, depreciation is a term that refers to two aspects of the same concept: first, the actual decrease of fair value of an asset, such as the decrease in value of factory equipment each year as it is used and wear, and second, the ...

, and not a valuation of the business as a going concern. The so-called "scrap iron clause" proved to be a disincentive to investment and improvement in later years, and in some locations was even said to be a disincentive to the capitalisation of new undertakings. Several sections of the Act were later repealed or superseded by other legislation, including the

Light Railways Act 1896 The Light Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c.48) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. History Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be o ...

. Most notably, local authorities were given the right to construct and operate their own tramways under the newer Acts, and municipal ownership became the norm when the original concessions expired.

References

External links

* Tram transport in the United Kingdom United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1870 1870 in transport Transport policy in the United Kingdom History of transport in the United Kingdom Transport legislation {{UK-transport-stub

See also

References

External links