ABSTRACT
Little detailed consideration seems to have been given to railway and canal route selection and when the matter has been considered the chief concern has been with general economic factors, engineering questions, the location of other transport undertakings and the influence of water supply. One possible factor influencing the selection of routes, which has received only scant attention, is the attitudes of the landowners along the proposed line. If the affected landowners were all supporters of the railway or canal then, arguably, the actual route taken is likely to correspond closely with the economically, technologically and geomorphologically optimum route. There were also numerous minor effects of the need to make an accommodation with the landowners. Whether or not one agrees with Dr Farrington's conclusion that 'the effect of vested interests was to produce minor alterations' depends very much on what one thinks is 'minor'.
