During the industrial revolution, transportation saw rapid growth. Machines replaced human and animal power. The invention of the steam engine became a milestone of the Industrial Revolution, officially blowing the trumpet of technological progress. As we entered the age of great navigation, crops as well as ores were brought into Europe, increasing the population and promoting the possibility of developing other industries. By the 18th century, the population of England was still growing, resulting in a surplus of agricultural labor and the need to seek new employment opportunities. Consumer demand throughout society was also increasing, providing a market for mass-produced goods. Because of the improvement of transportation efficiency, it is possible to transport various machines to different places and the production efficiency is greatly increased. Since trains used to need to burn coal, the advent of steam engines alleviated the problem of carbon dioxide pollution of the environment, maintained the price of coal, and at the same time allowed coal to be transported to more and more distant places, creating a virtuous circle.
The industrial revolution led to many farmers losing their jobs and being forced to work in factories. It led to environmental pollution, as well as high social pressure. But at the same time, the development of transportation provided people with a better quality of life, and opened tourism, hospitality, and economic development, which in general outweighed the disadvantages. The Industrial Revolution was an important stage in the history of capitalist development, achieving an important transformation from a traditional agricultural society to a modern industrial society.
In the early 1840s, railroads led to a 20% contraction in wagon transport and a 50% contraction in river transport. The cost of road transport at that time was about 4 pence to 5 pence per kilometer. First class carriage in passenger rail transport cost 3.5 pence per kilometer, second class carriage 2.5 pence and third class carriage 2 pence. According to a study, rail transport saved Britain about 40% of its transport costs at that time, and it can be said that railroads made a huge contribution to the British economy in the mid-to-late 19th century.