 The railway from Syston to Melton Mowbray opened on 1 September 1846.It would be more than a year before the sale of the canal was finally completed, on 29 October 1847, but just six months after that, the line from Melton Mowbray to Oakham opened on 1 May 1848.The purchase price enabled a final distribution of £44.35 to be made on each of the original shares.