How has the Railway evolved through the ages from the Industrial Revolution to the Victorian Era, through the Wars to now? 

 

With the invention of the locomotive kick starting the Industrial Revolution: arguably one of the most productive eras in British history, train travel got off to a flying start. After the reservations on safety and cleanliness of the machines the railway network grew rapidly connecting rural and urban communities.  

Passenger carriages became more available in the Victorian era and the demand for rail holidays began. Once the industry recognised the commercial market for rail travel and that the public was willing to pay more for improved comfort and service, luxury travel was born. Films such as A Brief Encounter and Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, set within these opulent carriages, define this time in rail history as romantic. 

 

During the wars, trains took on a completely different role acting as military transportation and ambulances. At this time many opinions of train travel were tainted from evacuation and other negative associations, however romance could still be found on the platforms of trains bring soldiers home.

In the late 20th century, the rise of the commuter trains and the introduction of high-speed rail significantly increased investment and revenue within the industry but in the process the journey experience became functional and antisocial. 

 

The locomotive has shaped and parted nations, tamed wildernesses and built empires. In the UK the enjoyment of travelling by train is still present, but the obsession with speed, reliability and economic investment has overshadowed the historic significance of the railway. 

 

 

 

Has the Romance of Train Travel been lost over time? 

 

Cinema and train travel have always been strongly connected by the similarity of watching a projected motion picture and watching a landscape roll by a train window. Film therefore can be used as a tool to observe the romantic associations. In the mid 20th century, films such as A Brief Encounter and Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, set within luxurious, opulent carriages, define the romance and mystery of train travel. Nowadays, trains are still featured in films but romance is saved for long journeys on trains in exotic locations.

 

The majority of interviewees believed that rail travel could be romantic but it wasn't a sentiment that they had personally experienced. The frequency and purpose of train travel has a major effect on romance as the daily commute to work evokes completely different connotations to a holiday aboard the Orient Express.

 

The romance of train travel has not been lost but it is often forgotten.

 

 

 

How has carriage design changed and what influence does it have on passenger experience?

 

Carriages that were once ornate and intricate are now sleek and functional where the need for speed and maximum capacity has comprehended the space and comfort of original designs. Luxury trains following Pullman's extravagant designs can still be found, but they come at a price.  An element of carriage design that has not changed is the segregation of classes and the demand for service. In the Victorian era, classes were a significant division within society whereas now in an aspiring equal society, train travel is one of the only class systems still in operation.

 

Carriage design has changed over time as dramatically as fashion has. In an effort to ensure efficiency, the flamboyance of the interiors has decreased but a high level of service and comfort is available in first class.