As the UK marks 200 since first steam passenger train, author and rail adventure enthusiast Tom Chesshyre reveals the most-scenic SLOW train rides around Britain AD feature: Two centuries since the first passenger steam train, a journey that extended to accelerate rail travel, the era of slowness may just be returning. The anniversary of this pioneering moment in transport was the inspiration for his latest book, Slow Trains Around Britain, an enchanting look at the British railway regional routes with glorious titles such as Settle and Carlisle showing us that this country is still a rail paradise.
3 weeks Ago By Nikodem Baran
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The tale started in 1825 in north-east England as passengers climbed aboard a steam locomotive for a 26-mile journey from Darlington to Stockton. It was the first occasion on which ticketed passengers were hauled by trains, and it ushered in the era of the modern railway. Two centuries later, it is a milestone that has come to be regarded as an inflection point in the evolution of travel across the world.
Over the course of 20 years, Tom Chesshyre has travelled up and down the UK and beyond by train, travelling more than 40,000 miles. His love of trains inspired his latest book, which is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the first public railway journey. He thinks of train travel as a slower, more visually appealing way to experience destinations that are frequently overlooked by car or plane.
Trains: A Cleaner — and More Romantic — Way to Travel
"Even though taking the train is greener than flying, ticket prices are still relatively high, which puts some people off," Chesshyre says. For instance, a return flight from the UK to Barcelona we found for £60, whereas the return train might be £150 each way. But he notes the rise of Interrail Passes, particularly among older people desiring a scenic European rail adventure.
He also notes improvements in high-speed rail, particularly in the likes of Spain where the high-speed rail network is now the best in Europe. That has led many of its residents to prefer riding the train over getting on a plane for domestic travel.
One of the wonders of train travel, Chesshyre writes, is that it calls up the past. He remembers the golden era of train travel — travel that once meant trips with velvet seats and bow-tied waiters and a whiff of glamour, with royals and celebrities and writers thrown in. There is also a romanticism about the rail network, with ornate stations like London’s Gothic St Pancras playing into the image.
While Britain celebrates the historic railway milestone, slow train journeys are still taking travelers on a timeless and scenic journey across the country.
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