Different transport modes have a habit of being replaced. The horse and cart lasted uncontested for quite a few centuries. But, in the eighteenth century, the advent of the canal opened up a whole new mechanism for transporting large quantities of goods. It was the canals that helped Britain’s manufacturing base become a world leader. However, just as the canals were becoming worked to full capacity, along came a new rival, the railroad. The railway made quick long distance travel a reality for many people. Both goods and people could now be easily transported across the country. Now journeys were measured in hours rather than days. The train soon led to the demise of the stagecoaches and the slow canal system. In the nineteenth century, the railway was king and in the UK, we built railway lines to every small town big or small.
Yet, the railways monopoly was soon to be challenged by the internal combustion engine. Cars and buses proved to offer greater flexibility and, at least over shorter distances, greater speed. In the first half of the twentieth century, rails dominance gave way to the car, slowly at first and in the post war period with greater speed. In the 1960s, train-spotting may have been the most popular hobby for young school boys, but adults who could afford it wanted a car. Why be the slave of a train timetable, when you can get to work quicker and faster in the car?