The arrival of the railways brought about a profound shift in society. Early train literature captured this dramatic shift.
William Wordsworth, a prominent figure of the Romantic era, feared railways would ruin the natural beauty of the countryside. His 1844 poem, On the Projected Kendal and Windermere Railway, reflects this concern.
“Is then no nook of English ground secure/From rash assault?”
The railway’s impact extended far beyond transportation, influencing the arts and literature in countless ways - from novels to poetry. In this article, we’ll explore the world of train literature, from theme books to poems about trains, and much more.
Train poems and railway books
While Wordsworth feared the railway’s impact, others embraced its growth. Many saw it as a means of connecting people from different walks of life, a theme evident in EM Forster’s Howards End. In this novel, train journeys serve as a backdrop for shifting social dynamics in early 20th-century Britain.
However, the speed of both the social changes brought by railways and the trains themselves were unsettling. In early railway literature, trains were often depicted as dangerous. They claim lives in novels such as Dombey & Son by Charles Dickens, The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope, and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.
In Charles Dickens’ 1866 ghost story The Signalman, the title character foresees a railway accident. He senses the approaching disaster before it occurs, making it seem as if time itself has broken down.
The first train in the story is described as a “vague vibration in the earth and air, quickly changing into a violent pulsation and an oncoming rush”. After it’s gone, the steam is still “skimming away over the landscape”.
Train literature for different audiences
The wildness of railways, combined with their dangerous velocity, made them an ideal setting for crime fiction. As a result, trains became central to melodramatic novels, such as the works of Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
In her 1861 novel The Trail of the Serpent, a document that could prove a man’s innocence of murder is accidentally burned in a railway compartment. This takes place in a carriage with no side corridor, a setting often used in thrillers since it leaves passengers with no means of escape.
Braddon’s novels were particularly popular in station bookstalls, the first of which opened at Fenchurch Street Station in 1841. These stalls sold inexpensive, fast-paced stories, perfect for keeping readers engaged during a train ride.
As Gwendolen Fairfax says in The Importance of Being Earnest: “One should always have something sensational to read in the train”.
Train literature for everyday audiences
Over time, railways lost their sensational appeal. In Railways & Culture in Britain, Ian Carter highlights Cuckoo Valley Railway, a short story of 1893 by Arthur Quiller-Couch. It was the first to portray a fading railway within a peaceful rural setting:
“These trees, encroaching on the track, almost joined their branches above us. Ahead, the moss that grew upon the sleepers gave the line the appearance of a green glade.”
Many writers have taken inspiration from the moss on those sleepers. In Edith Nesbit’s novel of 1906, The Railway Children, children play on the tracks, and the local station master is known for his beautiful flower displays. Edward Thomas’s poem, Adlestrop, evokes the lost tranquility of rural England on the eve of the First World War. As the train waits, “no one left and no one came ”, the only sound is that of birdsong.
Railway books focussing on travel
In the wake of World War I, a sense of adventure emerged among young British writers, fueled in part by a reaction against nationalism. One of these writers, Graham Greene, could only afford to travel as far as Cologne on a train to Istanbul. He imagined the rest of the journey in his first major success, Stamboul Train (1932).
Agatha Christie’s famous novel, Murder on the Orient Express belongs to this genre. Christie, who knew a great deal about trains, incorporated railway timetables into her novels such as The ABC Murders and The 4.50 From Paddington. This reflected how trains had become more predictable and controlled, reliable in their punctuality: yet it was the people aboard who were dangerous.
As cars became more common, railways started to appear less frequently in mainstream literature and art. Instead of evoking excitement, they became symbols of nostalgia. Paul Theroux’s The Great Railway Bazaar (1975) captures this shift. His journey from London to Tokyo and back showcases the fading grandeur of rail travel, steeped in its rich history and unique characters.
Books about trains for any age
Though British Railways began replacing steam engines with diesels on a large scale four years later, steam trains never truly disappeared. Two long-running series of railway thrillers - one by Edward Marston and the other by me, Andrew Martin - are both set in the past, where the charm of the locomotive remains irresistible.
After the war, Reverend Wilbert Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, became the most influential railway writer. Though Thomas has become a beloved favourite of children, his enduring appeal is not just rooted in nostalgia. Many of Thomas’s fans have never seen a steam engine in operation, yet they love him for his friendly face and timeless stories that continue to captivate generations of readers.