“The death knell of British railways” is commonly held to have been rung by Dr Beeching in 1963 but, surprisingly, at least one writer heard it as early as 1912, claiming that “motor cars must supplan

PAUL CLIFTON picks ten of the best (and worst), declaring: “There are numerous poetry anthologies on the subject of travel. I have an entire shelf of them. Choosing just ten about railways is highly subjective. Here is my flawed selection: some familiar to everyone and one you might rather forget…”

RAIL Columnist

Guest Columnist

RAIL Columnist

The resurgence of the sleeper train in Europe heralds a return to the romance and adventure of travel — whether you want to journey into the Arctic Circle on a snowy night or sip champagne between damask sheets on a trip through Italy.