Which double need made railway expansion increase deforestation in the nineteenth century?

Correct answer: Timber for sleepers and land for routes

Railways required huge quantities of durable timber for wooden sleepers placed beneath the tracks. Forest land also had to be cleared to lay railway lines. Thus, the need for timber for sleepers and land for routes increased deforestation. Passenger comfort and ticket sales were not direct causes of forest clearance. Exam tip: remember railway-driven deforestation as ‘timber for sleepers + land for tracks’.