Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, opened in 1830 in north-west England, was the first inter-city steam railway. Sapiens uses it as the start of the railway age in its account of the Industrial Revolution.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | turning point | First commercial railway, opened 1830: steam power moves from mines and mills to carrying people and goods. |
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — Yuval Noah Harari (2014)
Source: Original · Readwise highlight
On 15 September 1830, the first commercial railway line was opened, connecting Liverpool with Manchester.
- Role: turning point
- In the book: After a steam locomotive hauled coal wagons from a mine to a harbour in 1825, the line connecting Liverpool with Manchester opened on 15 September 1830. Its trains ran on the same steam power that had pumped water and driven looms, and within twenty years Britain had tens of thousands of kilometres of track.
- Why it matters: It marks the moment the book’s energy revolution reaches transport, and railways later force national time.