WE often forget about trains. Not all trains, of course, and not in all circumstances, but in general as a means of transportation.
There are some obvious ones: the Eurostar is a logical way to travel between London and Paris, and visitors to the northeastern United States will find the route between Boston, New York and Washington considerably more convenient than the plane.
A Via train barrels through the snow while on its way from Churchill to Thompson.
Europeans, of course, use the train extensively and their high-speed network has developed accordingly, and many major North American cities offer extensive commuter rail networks. But commuter networks are, to rail aficionados, what cheeseburgers are to gourmands; irritating (although more exciting than buses), and only barely recognizable as trains.
No, we like to look at trains as a means of exploration, and find a sort of spiritual sustenance from such tomes as the Thomas Cook Timetable. This compendium of railway schedules, conveniently offered in both a "European" and "Overseas" version, is quite magical.
Its tiny symbols, innocuous in the index, rule the roost. Does your train have dining facilities? Does it stop in Minsk on Thursdays? Will it carry couchettes or four-passenger sleeping cars? Does it divide in Sienna in the middle of the night?
All of these questions and more are answered, although you have to be careful to watch the pesky little symbols if you want to avoid sleeping through a train- splitting exercise and ending up far from your intended destination.
The book also conjures up visions of long journeys, mystical adventurous and fascinating strangers. Murder mysteries too, of course, and long and liquid lunches in the dining car as your carriage thunders across the Spanish plains, or south from Lvov to Chernovcy. I find it all too tempting, and frequently crumble and head to the station.
One can travel to and through the most amazing places. Some trains have changed little since the middle of the 20th century and allow the traveller a modest reverie. African trains in particular have this charm, and there are some delightful trains running in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania offer journeys full of imagery and charm, if a little short in the punctuality department. Sleepers are the order of the day, and these compact and comfortable compartments offer a delightful, if a touch warm, way to travel.
Trains offer journeys and expeditions, and are not always the most expedient means of travel. It is possible to travel overland from London to India (mostly) by train, although the route requires a four-hour bus ride between Bam and Zahedan in southern Iran.
Timing is everything with this journey, however, as it involves passage on the Taftan Express between Zahedan and Quetta, a train that only operates on the 3rd and 17th of each month. A minor inconvenience, of course, in a journey of this nature, but it highlights the importance of fastidiously observing the tiny little symbols and footnotes in the timetable. You wouldn't want to miss the train.
Trains are a way of life. Families travelling together, laughing and eating together, and inviting others to join them on their journey; not normal behaviour on the Chicago Metra or a Toronto G Train, but in Mali or Senegal the way to pass the time on the 44-hour journey between Bamako and Dakar. Reliable reports advise that "the train is old and dirty, but the restaurant serves three decent meals each day and cold beer." Syrian trains, in contrast are very clean but have no restaurant car and serve no beer. Their tea, however, is good.
Somehow, airline travel does not set the pulse racing as trains do. Well, not mine anyhow, although I will admit that the thought of a plane ride to Tonga or Nairobi has brightened the odd wintry morning. Trains, however, are the antithesis of the antiseptic environment of airlines. They are quirky and have character and one's fellow passengers are in the mood to chat.
Life stories, swapped in the cosy anonymity of a poorly lit dining car become plays in which one takes a part. Conversation lingers, glances and smiles, each a shade longer then necessary, assume a shy romanticism. Strangers become confidantes, secure in the knowledge that as their secrets leave the train at Chisinau, Zurich or Oslo they will remain silent. Remembered, of course, as we all remember some conversations in detail that we hope have been forgotten by our interlocutors, but safe.
Railways do not have to be remote. The overnight train from Winnipeg to The Pas, or beyond to Churchill offers the chance of adventure. Spending a winter's night secure in the warmth of the VIA train crossing the Prairies in a storm is unforgettable.
The American railway network opens up at Grand Forks, and from there one can spend a weekend in Chicago, or head all the way to California or Florida. Trains may not spring to mind immediately, but with a little imagination the romance of travel can be included in the journey as well as the destination.
Nigel Johnson is a Winnipeg writer and world traveller.
* To learn more about some of the world's most interesting trains, visit www.seat61.com
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