How did the railways change Britain?

Question: How did the railways change Britain!?
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Railways freed manufacturing (and extractive industries like mining and quarrying) from the limitations of water borne transport!. The ability to transport coal to anywhere on the rail network meant coal powered industry could operate anywhere that was near the rail network and of course any goods produced could then be distributed rapidly too!. Rail was a significant factor in the growth of urbanisation since the transport of coal made the large (stem powered) factory much easier to operate!. (edit) and the manufacture and transport of cheap bricks made the building of cities much easier (endedit)
An interesting side effect was the synchronisation of times across the country!. Prior to the railway there was no need for a town or village in Devon, or Yorkshire to operate on exactly the same time!. Everything moved at the speed of a horse, so it did not matter if the times were different as it only mattered within each town or village!. Once the railways came there was a need for the same time to apply across the whole rail network!.
Railways also made national daily newspapers possible!. Pretty soon into the railway age you could get from London to Edinburgh in less than a day so you could print a paper in one place, and have it read almost everywhere on the same day!.
(edit) and railways paved our streets! -by making the transport of "York Stone" which is a sandstone easily split into paving slabs from West Yorkshire to London and other major cities affordable!. (endedit)Www@QuestionHome@Com

They speeded up the process begun by the canals whereby goods could be distributed around the country!. One way it changed things was that previously buildings were built of local materials, it became possible to transport bricks and slates to all areas - in reponse to the rapid urbanisation that was occuring at the time!. This lead to the erosion of the local character of places which is still happening today, although transport is more likely to be by road!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because of the organization of train travel, there had to be a timetable of arrivals and departures!. This was instrumental in there being a national clock!. When it was 1!.00 pm in London, it was also 1!.00 pm in Scotland!. Previously it was a very hit and miss approximation of time!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It also greatly sped up the process of industrialization!. Goods could be taken throughout the country and also to ports where they were offloaded to other areas!.

Cheers!

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People could then travel on train!.Www@QuestionHome@Com