The opening of the Clarence was closely followed by the Hartlepool Dock & Railway, a similar concern, intended to link the collieries surrounding the City of Durham, to the coast at Hartlepool (rather than the River Tees). The HD&R was first authorised by an Act of Parliament obtained on 1 June 1832 to construct a 14-mile railway from Moorsley (near Houghton-le-Spring) to Hartlepool with several short branches to serve collieries surrounding the line. The company obtained a further Act of 16 June 1834 which permitted construction of an additional branch to Gilesgate in the City of Durham. However competition from other railways meant that the H&DR main line only reached as far as and most of its branches were either cut short or left unbuilt; the curtailed line opened for mineral traffic on 23 November 1835 and passengers four years later.