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Railways of the Dominion.
On the 30th June, 1877, the close of the fiscal year, there were in operation in the Dominion 5.340 miles of railway, besides 228 miles or United States roads worked by Canadian Companies, in all 5,574 miles. This shows an increase in the mileage of railways of 417 miles in the year. 80 miles are double track, viz: 79 on the Great Western, and 1 on the Canada Southern. The gauges are—
|
Miles. |
5 ft. 6 in |
539¾ |
4 ft. 8½ in |
4,362 |
3 ft. 6 in |
672½ |
The total capital raised by railways in operation up to 30th June, 1877, was $326,328,976, and the paid up capital of railways under construction was $19,621,140, making a total railway capital of $845,950,116. The increase as compared with 1876 was—
On railways in operation |
$8,808,806 |
On railways in construction |
3,530,561 |
|
$12,339,067 |
The equipment of the railways in operation was as follows:—
Miles laid with Iron rails |
2,783½ |
Miles laid Steel rails |
2,765¼ |
Miles Wooden rails |
25½ |
Length of sidings |
688 |
No. of engines owned |
981 |
No. of engines hired |
14 |
No. first class cars hired |
35 |
No. first class owned |
462 |
No. second class and emigrant cars owned |
291 |
No. baggage, mail and express cars owned |
237 |
No. baggage, mail and express cars hired |
4 |
No. cattle & freight cars hired |
1,583 |
No. cattle & freight owned |
12,129 |
No. platform cars owned |
6,917 |
No. platform hired |
10 |
No. coal cars owned |
1,030 |
No. grain elevators |
13 |
No. road crossings guarded |
70 |
No. read crossings not guarded |
6,001 |
No. overhead bridges |
331 |
No. crossings of other railways |
91 |
No. functions with railways |
126 |
No. branch lines |
58 |
|
Miles. |
The train mileage was |
19,459,813 |
No. of passengers |
6,073,233 |
Tonnage of freight |
6,859,796 |
The earnings of the railways in 1876 and 1877 were as follow:—
|
1876-77 |
1875-76 |
|
$ cts |
$ cts |
Passengers |
6,458,493 52 |
6,251,866 74 |
Freight |
11,321.264 26 |
12,211,1,58 46 |
Malls & Express |
744,741 46 |
703,994 01 |
Other sources |
217,554 24 |
188,064 90 |
Total |
18,742,053 48 |
19,358,084 11 |
The operating expenses in the same two years were—
|
1876-77 |
1875-76 |
|
$ cts |
$ cts |
Maintenance |
3,226,765 76 |
3,813,668 27 |
Working & rep'rs of engines |
4,816,349 41 |
4,825,676 19 |
Working & rep'rs of cars |
1,515,774 90 |
1,588,276 01 |
General operating charges |
5,731,201 78 |
5,575,080 94 |
Total |
15,290,091 48 |
15,802,721 41 |
The gross receipts in 1876-77 were |
$18,742,053 48 |
Gross expenses |
15,290,091 48 |
Profit |
$3,451,962 00 |
which would give a dividend of $4 33 per cent, upon the bonded debt of $79,676,382, leaving nothing for share capital or Government or municipal advances. The gross earnings per mile amounted to $3,362 against $3,753 the previous year, and the operating expenses $2,764 against $3,064 in 1876.
During the year there were 428 accidents on the railways, viz:—111 killed and 317 injured; 302 of these were railway employees, and 23 passengers. The number of passengers carried was 6,073,233. The number or miles under construction at June 30th, 1877, was 1,967.
The amounts expended by the Dominion and Local Governments on railways up to that date was—
Dominion Government |
$63,296,380 78 |
Ontario Government |
3,250,769 74 |
Quebec Government |
10,295,506 00 |
New Brunswick Government |
2,833.000 00 |
Nova Scotia Government |
1,885,727 00 |
Total |
$81,561,383 00 |
By municipalities aid had been granted to the amount of $11,263,353 78, viz:—
In Ontario |
96,968,853 78 |
Quebec |
3,723,000 00 |
New Brunswick |
296,500 00 |
Nova Scotia |
275,000 00 |
Total |
$11,263,353 70 |
making the total amount of Government and Municipal aid $92,824,737, an increase over the preceding year of $8,971,372 00.
The following tables give the statistics of the railways that sent in their returns to the General Superintendent. Some of them, that officer complains, treat with almost complete silence his urgent and repeated applications, and the returns are necessarily somewhat imperfect:—
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