How did the railways change Britain?
Railways freed manufacturing (and extractive industries like mining and quarrying) from the limitations of water borne transport. The ability to transport coal to anywhere on the rail network meant coal powered industry could operate anywhere that was near the rail network and of course any goods produced could then be distributed rapidly too. Rail was a significant factor in the growth of urbanisation since the transport of coal made the large (stem powered) factory much easier to operate. (edit) and the manufacture and transport of cheap bricks made the building of cities much easier (endedit) An interesting side effect was the synchronisation of times across the country. Prior to the railway there was no need for a town or village in Devon, or Yorkshire to operate on exactly the same time. Everything moved at the speed of a horse, so it did not matter if the times were different as it only mattered within each town or village. Once the railways came there was a need for the same tim
