To the Sea by Train: The Golden Age of Railway Travel
By (Author) Andrew Martin
Profile Books Ltd
Profile Books Ltd
4th November 2025
31st July 2025
Main
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Railway technology, engineering and trades
Museology and heritage studies
Travel guides: rail travel / railway journeys
Social and cultural history
385.09410904
Hardback
304
Width 146mm, Height 226mm, Spine 42mm
420g
'Andrew Martin is a railway wizard' Telegraph 'Leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel' Financial Times Throughout the twentieth century, the seaside service posters of Britain's railways promised fresh air and frivolity to millions of urban dwellers with the phrase: 'To the sea by train'. A staple of modern British life, the seaside getaway was intertwined with the train, in whose compartments holidaymakers were shunted from smog-choked cities to sandy coves.With his signature wit and anecdotal style, Andrew Martin captures an era defined by its railways: from the development of Brighton and Scarborough into pleasure resorts, and the introduction of bank holidays and two-day weekends, to the advent of cheap flights and the British coast's subsequent decline. Humorous and evocative, To the Sea by Train takes a charming tour through Britain's most beloved pastime.
Praise for Andrew Martin: 'Andrew Martin is the railway wizard * Telegraph *
Andrew Martin has cornered the train market. He is the Bard of the Buffer, the Balladeer of the Blue Train, the Laureate of Lost Property ... the best sort of travel-writer: inquisitive, knowledgeable, lively, congenial * Mail on Sunday *
Martin is entertaining company, alive to the history of his route ... Leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel * Financial Times *
Andrew Martin is a rail expert and author. His previous titles include Underground, Overground, Night Trains, Belles & Whistles, Steam Trains Today and Train Teasers. He is also the author of Seats of London, a field guide to Transport for London's iconic moquette patterns.