READING ON THE TRAIN – A leap into the unknown

A train journey can be a terrible thing or comic. Maybe you are not the son of a railwayman, but you too spent a lot of time daydreaming on trains. Sometimes, of the memory of a trip on the train we just have a broken pencil on a seat, a forgotten object from the traveling companion, which had not had the courage to ask for a telephone number, to be able to meet again.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN – Paula Hawkins

She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. Rachel catches that same commuter train every morning. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Train-Paula-Hawkins/dp/0857522310

THE TRAIN TO PAKISTAN – Khushwant Singh

The partition of India, was one of the most dreadful times in the recent Indian history. The novel commences with a description of Mano Majra, that suddenly becomes a part of the border between Indian and Pakistan. An idyllic and peaceful village, Mano Majra resorted to love and harmony even at the face of all odds till external forces come and disrupted all the harmony. The Train to Pakistan is an ideal novel for those who wishes to learn more about India’s past. http://www.amazon.in/Train-Pakistan-Khushwant-Singh/dp/0143065882

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – Edith Nesbit

When Father goes away, with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home, to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. They soon come to love the railway, that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. When they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance, and the family is happily reunited. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Railway-Children-Childrens-Classics/dp/1853261076

THE GREAT RAILWAY BAZAAR – Paul Theroux

Theroux recounts his early adventures on an unusual grand continental tour. Asia’s fabled trains (the Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Frontier Mail), are the stars of a journey that takes him on a loop eastbound from London’s Victoria Station to Tokyo Central, then back from Japan on the Trans-Siberian. Brimming with Theroux’s signature humor, this engrossing chronicle is essential reading for both the ardent adventurer and the armchair traveler. https://www.amazon.com/Great-Railway-Bazaar-Paul-Theroux-ebook/dp/B005G03ETI

PARALLEL LINES – Ian Marchant

For many years the British have lived with the railway. Parallel Lines tells the story of the real railway and the railway of our dreams. Ian Marchant examines the history of the British railway and meets those who still hold the railways close to their hearts, the model railway enthusiasts, the train-spotters and bashers. He swaps stories with commuters at the far reaches of London suburbia, he travels to deserted railway museums, and smokes cigarettes on remote, windswept stations in the furthest corners of Scotland https://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Lines-Journeys-Railway-Dreams/dp/0747565848