3rd May 1830: First timetabled passenger railway begins service

On the 3rd May 1830, the world’s first timetabled steam-powered passenger service began operating on the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. Due to Whitstable being a seaside town, the line became affectionately known as the Crab and Winkle line, and continued to operate a passenger service for just over a hundred years before becoming goods-only. It’s important to add some clarification to the Crab and Winkle line’s claim to fame.  Firstly, it wasn’t the world’s first passenger railway – that...