In the 1880s, New Zealand's economy was in the grips of the Long depression and the New Zealand Government (with considerable investment in Vogel railways) was in no position to make further investment in railways. The East and West Coast and Nelson Railway Act was passed to enable the railway to be built and operated by private enterprise and a deputation of Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, Alan Scott and C.Y. Fell visited London to interest financiers in promoting a company. The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was also established in the 1880s (1881) to build the West Coast line north of Wellington.