THIS is the only railway which has yet been completed in this county, and it was promoted chiefly by parties living at the termini, who made it their only object to carry it in as straight a line as possible from point to point, with very little reference to the convenience of the towns by the way. If the shareholders could have foreseen the disastrous influence of such a policy upon their own funds, they would certainly have taken a different course, even though they felt no interest in the prosperity of the places which they so much injured by passing at considerable distances. The scheme was first projected in 1834, and the directors obtained their act on their first application to Parliament in 1836; the line was opened from Cheltenham to Bromsgrove, in June, 1840, and throughout the whole distance on the 17th of December in that year. The share capital subscribed was £1,142,125, to which £380,076 was afterwards added of money borrowed on debentures, &c. Though the line, except at the Lickey, presented no engineering difficulties, and was cheaply constructed, yet the rate of profit was very small; and in October, 1842, the £100 shares were quoted as low as 41. In January, 1845, it was amalgamated with the Bristol and Gloucester Line; and in 1846, when the broad and narrow gauge interests were each making such struggles for the ascendancy, the Midland Company entered into an arrangement to lease the line for 999 years, paying 6 per cent. upon the capital. The Great Western bid 5½ per cent., but would go no higher. This undertaking was first introduced to the notice of the citizens of Worcester at a public meeting held on the 15th of January, 1834. The Company were at this time about to determine upon their route, and had two plans before them—the one eventually adopted _viâ_ Cheltenham, and another that was to have come by way of Stourbridge, Kidderminster, and Worcester; the former was marked out by Mr. Brunel, the latter by a Mr. Wooddeson. In consequence of this state of things some gentlemen had formed themselves into a provisional committee with a line of their own, and Messrs. Gwinnall and Hughes, the solicitors employed, procured the calling of this meeting, in the Guildhall, Worcester, with the Mayor, W. Dent, Esq., in the chair. The committee laid their plans, in the rough, before the meeting, and asked a vote of sanction and support from the meeting. Sir Anthony Lechmere wanted no railways at all. Major Bund and Mr. Gutch proposed a month’s adjournment. But a resolution to stand by the committee, and to approve of no railway but one which came right through Worcester, was passed by a large majority. The Grand Connection Railway project took its rise from the suggestions of this committee.