Life before the Transport Revolution York has been a hub of transport communications since the Romans established the city in AD71, linking it to an efficient road system and making use of its waterways. But until the railways were established in the early part of the nineteenth century, people could only travel as fast as their feet or a horse could take them. In the early eighteenth century, a stagecoach journey from York to London took 3 to 4 days, though by the end of the century innovations in road construction and coach design had shortened the journey-time to around 36 hours. More about York's Railway Heritage.