Which 1830 English railway is considered the world's first inter-city passenger railway?

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the 1830 English railway considered the world's first inter-city passenger railway.

The 31-mile line opened on 15 September 1830, linking Liverpool's port with Manchester's industrial mills. It was designed for both freight and passengers, replacing slower canal routes and helping move cotton, coal, manufactured goods and people more quickly. Its regular, scheduled services made it a model for later railway systems.

Earlier railways existed, so the distinction needs care. The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in 1825 and carried passengers, but it was primarily a freight railway and used horse traction and cable haulage as well as locomotives. The Liverpool and Manchester line was the first major railway to operate an entirely steam-locomotive passenger service between two important urban centres. George Stephenson's Rocket had won the 1829 Rainhill Trials, helping establish the locomotive design used on the new route.

The opening day became famous—and tragic—after politician William Huskisson was fatally injured by Rocket. Despite that disaster, passenger demand was immediate: nearly 500,000 people travelled during the first year.