and potentially profitable. Dividends of 18% were promised, and a prospectus was issued; the Maryport and Carlisle Railway obtained its authorising Act of Parliament on 12 July 1837. The Act asserted that the line "would facilitate the communication between the Continent of Europe and Ireland and the Western Coast of England by forming in conjunction with the Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Carlisle Railway and the Brandlings Junction Railway, one complete and continuous line of communication from the German Ocean to the Irish Sea". The authorised capital was £180,000. Construction and opening Construction was relatively easy with little requirement for heavy civil engineering works; however much of the subscribed capital was not forthcoming when the calls were made, the lack of cash severely slowed construction, many shares were forfeit, and the directors resorted to unauthorised borrowing. Maryport to Aspatria The seven-mile section from Maryport to the pits at Arkleby (1¼ miles short of Aspatria) was opened for mineral traffic on 15 July 1840.: The line ran from the South Quay at Maryport, and the Maryport passenger station was in front of what is now Jubilee Terrace. The line was extended from Arkleby to Aspatria on 12 April 1841. Bridges on the line were built with little more than a foot (0.3m) lateral clearances between bridge and train; much less than came to be the norm in the UK, and as a consequence unwary passengers have in the past stuck their head out of a window and been killed. The line achieved a major reduction on transport costs in the northern coalfield. It now cost Brayton Colliery 4 shillings per wagon to transport their coal to Maryport by railway, when road transport had formerly cost them 9 shillings per wagon; Gilcrux colliery were now paying half the 7 shillings per wagon road transport had cost them. At that time Whitehaven coal was being sold to the shippers at 16/6 delivered on board. Output from the northern coalfield increased rapidly, and with it the tonnage of coal shipped from Maryport. In 1842, the general manager of Whitehaven Collieries reported "The promoters of the Maryport & Carlisle Railway had the avowed object in view to injure Whitehaven, in which they have been successful". By 1846, almost as much coal was being shipped out through Maryport as through Whitehaven. Carlisle to Wigton With the line operating from Maryport to Aspatria, attention turned to construction at the Carlisle