The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M) opened on 15 September 1830. Work on the L&M had begun in the 1820s, to connect the textile mills of the city of Manchester with the nearest deep water port at the Port of Liverpool, 35 miles (56 km) away. Although horse-drawn railways already existed elsewhere, the Stockton and Darlington Railway had been running for five years, and a few industrial sites already used primitive steam locomotives for bulk haulage, the L&M was the first locomotive-hauled railway to connect two major cities, and the first to provide a scheduled passenger service. The opening day was a major public event. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, the prime minister, rode on one of the eight inaugural trains, as did many other dignitaries and notable figures of the day. Huge crowds lined the track at Liverpool to watch the trains depart for Manchester.
The Liverpool to Manchester railway line opens; British MP William Huskisson becomes the first widely reported railway passenger fatality when he is struck and killed by the locomotive Rocket.
On September 15, in the year 1830, The Liverpool to Manchester railway line opens; British MP William Huskisson becomes the first widely reported railway passenger fatality when he is struck and killed by the locomotive Rocket. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of September 15, one of 447 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on September 15, 1830 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 4 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 14 August 2026.
On This Date in History 447
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More on September 15
Signing of the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement occurs in Washington, D.C., normalizing relations between Israel…
The Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement, officially Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations, is an agreement to n…
Signing of the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement occurs in Washington, D.C., normalizing relations between Israel…
The Parsons Green bombing takes place in London.
On 15 September 2017, at around 08:20 BST, an explosion occurred on a District line train at Parsons Green Underground station, in London, England. Thirty people were treated in h…
The Parsons Green bombing takes place in London.
Four miners are killed in the Gleision Colliery mining accident in the Swansea Valley, Wales.
The Gleision Colliery mining accident was a mining accident which occurred on 15 September 2011 at the Gleision Colliery, a drift mine at Cilybebyll in Neath Port Talbot, in Wales…
Four miners are killed in the Gleision Colliery mining accident in the Swansea Valley, Wales.
Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was an American global financial services firm founded in 1850. Before filing for bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth-largest investment bank i…
Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players' union and cessation of operations…
The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams, 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professi…
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players' union and cessation of operations…
During a CART race at the Lausitzring in Germany, former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi suffers a heavy accident…
Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 season. CART was founded in…
During a CART race at the Lausitzring in Germany, former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi suffers a heavy accident…
Comments 0
Sign in to join the discussion.