History of Manchester - Transport

Transport

The growth of the city was matched by expansion of its transport links. The growth of steam power meant that demand for coal rocketed. To meet this demand, the first canal of the industrial era, the Duke's Canal, often referred to as the Bridgewater Canal, was opened in 1761, linking Manchester to the coal mines at Worsley. This was soon extended to the Mersey Estuary. Soon an extensive network of canals was constructed, linking Manchester to all parts of England.

One of the world's first public omnibus services began in 1824; it ran from Market Street in Manchester or Pendleton in Salford. In 1830, Manchester was again at the forefront of transport technology with the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the world's first steam passenger railway. This provided faster transport of raw materials and finished goods between the port of Liverpool and mills of Manchester. By 1838, Manchester was connected by rail with Birmingham and London, and by 1841 with Hull. The existing horse drawn omnibus services were all acquired by the Manchester Carriage Company, Ltd in 1865. Horse drawn trams began in Salford (1877) and Manchester (1880–81), were succeeded by electric trams in 1901-03 and by 1930 Manchester Corporation Tramways were running the third largest system in the UK.