The Orient Express is being replaced, in part, by high-speed trains. Being a huge fan of rail travel (I haven’t boarded a plane since 2002, when I was half-way through an MA, still ate meat and never heard of a blog), I have mixed feelings. While romantic, slow trains leave a lot to be desired. Fast trains do lack some of the charm of a dimly-lit diesel, but they do seem to attract riders who are tired of the hassle of flying or who are interested in the magic of trains, albeit moder ones. Still, I can imagine the thrill of a ride on the Orient Express, armed with a journal and pricked-up ears.
The Orient Express — the very name carries an aura of glamour and mystery. Van Helsing rode it to his battle with Dracula. James Bond romanced a beautiful Russian aboard it. And Agatha Christie set one of the best-known murders in literary history aboard that train.
Now the original Orient Express is itself about to become part of history. On Monday, the route will disappear from European railway timetables, a victim of high-speed trains and cut-rate airlines.
(Read more.)
This is one of my favorite times of the year for train travel, riding through the mountains and snow, with icy rivers and silent wind turbines churning on peaks. If everything works out, we should take a train journey to Southern Illinois before winter is over.
Read more past posts:
The romance that the Orient Express represented… it’s old and out-of-touch, I suppose. All the same, the story struck a chord with me, too, this morning. And I’ll admit it: I’d have loved to have made that trip.