In the original dust jacket. Blue board binding with black title on the spine.

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  THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘Vividly conjures a lost age’ FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Hugely entertaining’ EVENING STANDARD

‘A feast of anecdotage’ SUNDAY 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.

‘A standalone classic’ COUNTRY LIFE

‘Infectious’ SPECTATOR

Review: A charming and informative book so far, but I’m posting now to report an egregious error. The book claims that various amenities in Cleethorpes were opened by Prince Albert in 1885. Poor Albert had been dead for 24 years then. Still, the book does make me want to visit Cleethorpes.

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.