Train travel classification has historical roots dating back to the 1840s. The third class, initially uncomfortable and akin to cargo, was reformed by the Railway Regulation Act of 1844, which mandated improved conditions for travelers. This legislation allowed for only one third-class carriage per train and aimed to improve the passenger experience. As demand for third-class travel grew, rail companies like Midland Railway began enhancing the quality of carriages, leading to an increased prevalence of third-class accommodations on trains.
Although the image of third-class passengers sitting in open-top carriages is a popular one, it lasted only a few years before Parliament decided that transporting people with about as much regard as you would for cattle was intolerable.
In 1844, the government passed the Railway Regulation Act, which set minimum service levels and required passengers in third class to be provided with shelter from the weather and seats.
The concept of classes in train carriages can be traced back to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which introduced the first and second class designations in their carriages.
Midland Railway decided that if people wanted to travel third class, why make it difficult for them? So, it started improving the quality of third-class carriages.
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