Editing Northern Counties Committee (section)

====Early accounts====
The financial results for the first year of operation were very poor due to depressed passenger traffic during the winter season and because of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine of Ireland]] with the result that no dividend was paid. Goods traffic increased once the goods sheds and other facilities had been completed and, in an attempt to obtain additional passenger traffic, the company reduced second and third class fares. However, the financial situation remained unsatisfactory throughout the early years and no dividend would be declared until 1850–51 when it was possible to pay a modest dividend of 1%.

[[Dividend]]s continued at around 1-1{{frac|1|2}}% until November 1855 when they rose to a new peak of 5%. Goods traffic had continued to increase gratifyingly although passenger numbers fluctuated.