Railways, Economy and Society in the Nineteenth Century



Overview

Victorian Britain was changed forever by the advent of the railways. The rapidly expanding railway networks linked distant towns together for the first time, opening up new markets for manufacturers, and opportunity for local people. Development of railways depended upon a combination of leading-edge engineering, groundbreaking architecture, demand from businesses and the creation of an increasingly literate and numerate population. All these themes will be explored over the ten weeks of this course.

New opportunity was created for businesses which allowed to them to grow and employ an increasing number of people. Cheaper and faster freight services outcompeted canals, and allowed for retail businesses to replace traditional markets, whilst a wider variety of better-quality affordable food could be brought into the large towns and cities of Britain, improving almost everyone's diet. National newspapers were created once the national network was approaching completion, which allowed everyone in Britain, many of whom could by then read to a good standard, to become aware of not only British, but also global news.

We will examine all of these topics during the course as well as how the railways were fundamental in the creation of a British favourite, fish and chips, and professional sport as well as democratising theatre.

Railways have often been said to have been the cause of economic growth and population change in Britain in the nineteenth century, but were they? We will explore these generalisations to see if it was really what happened in Victorian Britain.

The railway companies were amongst the biggest businesses that the country had ever seen, but how did they care for their staff, if indeed they did, and who worked for the railways? We will look at the working lives of Victorian railway people, both men and women, to discover what it really meant to work for Britain's Victorian railways. 

British society was impacted strongly by the arrival of railways although many places were bypassed by the earlier routes. We will explore what this meant to the people of those places, and what they did to improve the situation.

Find out what the Victorian railways really meant to Britain and its people.

Programme details

Course starts Wednesday 30 September 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.

Week 1: Introduction: Why did the Victorians build railways?

Week 2: Railway Finance and Parliament: Who really owned Britain's railways?

Week 3: Who were the Navvies: The men and women who built Britain's Victorian railway network.

Week 4: Breaking the Mould: The great railway engineers who led the way.

Week 5: The Railway Company: Opportunity, architecture, brand and employer.

Week 6: Railway and Economy: How Victorian railways impacted on economic change.

Week 7: Railway and Society: The relationship between the railways and social change.

Week 8: Food and Shopping: How Victorian railways changed how we ate and where we shopped.

Week 9: Leisure time: What the railways did for the Victorians.

Week 10: Travelling in Style: Wooden bench to Pullman car - The development of passenger travel.

Certification

Academic credit

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)

Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.

Digital certificate of completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £315.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Richard Marks

Dr Richard Marks is a published historian and engaging lecturer specialising in manufacturing and social history, the Industrial Revolution, Victorian Britain, railways, and military history. His research spans several books, including forthcoming heritage travel guides, and he has advised museums on major exhibitions. Richard’s PhD explored how railways shaped the industrial and economic development of rural counties in the nineteenth century. With a background in technology and business, he brings real‑world insight to historical study and is known for making complex ideas clear, vivid, and accessible to learners at every level.

Course aims

To provide an introduction to the history of Britain's Victorian railways and their impact upon businesses, work and society.

Course objectives

  • To set Britain's railways into their social, political, economic and cultural context.
  • To unravel some of the generalisations which have been applied to the period of railway building.
  • To show how the Victorian railways created new opportunities, and social and economic mobility for everyone.
  • To enable and encourage participants to pursue their own independent research after the course.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught through a combination of fully illustrated lectures, occasional case studies and discussion. The lectures will be interactive throughout.

Visual sources such as diagrams, photographs and maps will be used to illustrate topics throughout the course.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:

  • Be able to explain how the Victorian railways changed life in Britain in the 19th Century.
  • Understand the economic and social impact of railways upon Victorian Britain.
  • Be able to discuss how Victorian railways supported changes in leisure activities and holidays, and contributed to the development of national sport and media.

Assessment methods

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.

Assessment

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback that you are given will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Application

How to enrol

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

How to register for accreditation and assessment

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. 

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support