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Expert railway enthusiast Ben le Vay returns with a new edition of his much-acclaimed guide to discovering Britain from the rails. This latest edition adds new lines and destinations in Britain's fast-changing railway, while updating the guide to the classic greats. Thoroughly updated, it includes a full, fascinating guide to the new Borders Railway in Scotland, plus details of the new route from London to Oxford and expanded coverage of the eccentric Jolly Fisherman line in Lincolnshire and the charming Cotswold line from Oxford to Hereford. Also included are more details of the Far North line from Inverness to Wick and Thurso.
'Now, finally, the network has a book to be proud of!' So said one reviewer of the first edition. Branch lines and 'secret railways' are covered, and so too are the popular routes such as the glorious East Coast main line to Scotland and the Great Western to Penzance. Regional treats include the famed West Highland Line in Scotland, the Settle and Carlisle railway in the north of England, and entire chapters dedicated to 'Wales Rails' and 'East Anglia: A Circular Tour'.
Additional information ranges from the practical - such as a guide to the layout of some of the country's main termini - to the 'Inside Track: a window-gazer's guide to stuff to look out for on your journey' and intriguing train trivia. The best historic and preserved railways are also included, as are Ben's Top Ten Rail Journeys.
Ben le Vay says: 'There are endless books about trains, about the history of the railways, about stations, signal boxes, carriages, wagons. as specialist as you like. There are also myriad books about British cities and countryside, about what is wonderful and fascinating about different patches of our unique island. But there were none that successfully combined the one type of book with the other (after all, you look at the country while sitting on trains) until now. And this is I do with deep knowledge, love and enthusiasm for both parts.' "We live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world - sit back, relax and enjoy the ever changing landscape of Britain from the Rails!"
Pete Waterman Obe, Chairman of the Waterman Railway Trust

"Look out of those train windows and see another Britain. This is a richly researched and fascinating book, with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow at every page."
Alastair Sawday

"Whether you're a first-time visitor or time-served commuter, Benedict le Vay's book will open your eyes to the sights and history of Britain's best train journeys. And his choice of the top ten British train routes is spot on!"
Mark Smith, The Man In Seat 61

"A quite superb, indeed incomparable, combination of maps, railway trivia, engineering isights and breathtaking landscape features to look out for."
Michael Gove, The Times

"This elegant guide is perfect for people who really want to know what they are seeing when they idly look out of a train window. The maps and illustrations add to the joy of reading a gorgeous guide."
Adam Trimingham, Brighton Argus Magazine

"Britain from the Rails: A Window Gazer's Guide by Benedict le Vay, tells you what you should look out for from your carriage window on rail journeys from Aberdeen to Penzance and all points in between. This is a book that will gladden the hearts of all who love train travel."
Frank Barrett, The Mail on Sunday

'Gloriously quirky labour-of-love'
Wanderlust

"If books have personalities, then this one is eccentric, but very appealing. It looks as though someone else has already owned it, written their very useful notes in the margin, and sketched the most fascinating sights too. It makes you want to try out the train routes that are outlined for yourself- and why not?"
RSPB Birds Magazine

'The whole book has a friendly, if slightly eccentric, feel to it.'
National Railway Museum Review

'This book is an absolute joy'
West Highland News

Britain from the Rails

Introduction:

Rail Britannia!







Who is

this book for? A lot of people..., How to use this book, Ben's top ten rail

journeys















Chapter 1 The Glorious East Coast Main Line to

Scotland







King's

Cross to York: record breakers, York to Edinburgh: to the world's first

railway, Edinburgh to Aberdeen: Firth to last







Chapter 2 Scotland: Rails to Romance and Beauty







The basic

layout, Glasgow and Edinburgh termini, Planning ahead in Scotland, The West Highland

Line: Glasgow-Crianlarich-Fort William-Mallaig and the Oban branch: the iron

road to the isles, The Highland Main Line: Inverness to Glasgow (and

Edinburgh), Britain's first new domestic line for many decades, the fascinating

Borders Railway, Seaside excursions: two great days out from Scotland's two big

cities, The Great North of Scotland Railway: Inverness to Aberdeen, The Skye

Railway: the very strange story of 'the most beautiful line in Europe', The

intriguing Far North Line: from Inverness to Wick and Thurso put into sharp

focus







Chapter 3 The North of England: Chuffing 'eck,

That's Grand!







Midlands

mentions, The North of England: overview and recommended lines, The wonderful

Settle & Carlisle Railway: don't Settle for anything less! Leeds to Lancaster

and Morecambe: a useful connector, brief encounters and a great comedian, The

Cumbrian Coast Line: right round the Lake District, The Lake District by train?

What are those words worth?! No missing Lincs in Lincolnshire: Nottingham to

Skegness - the Jolly Fisherman Line seen in a fresh perspective







Chapter 4 Great Western: God's Wonderful Railway







The GWR:

trunk, branches and twigs, Keeping great company: the GWR's great history,

London to Penzance: best of the West, The Berks & Hants route: Kennet

Valley and Vale of Pewsey, The GWR strikes north: expanded detail on the lovely

Cotswolds, Golden Valley and Banbury, West Country branches: Devon and

Cornwall's cream, Wessex lines: undiluted Old England at her best, The GWR

route into South Wales: branch lines to Dai for. New ways to Oxford - the first

new route linking London to a major British city for almost 100 years







Chapter 5 Wales Rails







Fire-breathing

dragons: & going for a spin with the best connected, Welsh rare bits and

best bits, North Wales and the Marches: a fantastic circular route or splendid

separate days out, The Heart of Wales Line: Shrewsbury to Swansea, a real rural

rail survivor







Chapter 6 East Anglia: A Circular Tour to See

the Best of This Unique Region







Bargain

Anglia, Hitchin to Cambridge: teetotal recall, dozy crossing keepers and snooty

dons, The Breckland Line: Cambridge to Norwich - islands in the Fen to blasted

heath, Really recommended for the ride, Norwich-Lowestoft: Queen of the Lot,

The lovely East Suffolk Line: Lowestoft to Ipswich (for London): swinging

stuff, London Liverpool Street to Norwich via the Great Eastern Main Line (plus

fabulous branches)







Chapter 7 South Western from Waterloo: Take Me

to the Sunshine







Waterloo:

welcome to Britain's biggest and busiest station, Waterloo to Woking: another

Britain's busiest, Woking to Southampton: Martians to maritime, Southampton to

Weymouth: the New Forest and two Hardys' Wessex, The Portsmouth Direct Line:

Woking to Pompey, ups and Downs, Waterloo to Exeter: the West of England Main

Line







Chapter 8 South and Southeast: From Dirty

Weekends to Bo Peep







The

Brighton Line: premier holiday route, London Victoria to Brighton: what to look

out for from Thames to Channel, Brighton Line Branches,

Brighton-Hastings-Ashford: towns, gowns and Downs, Hastings Direct and the Kent

Coast: catch the 1066







Chapter 9 Britain's 'Secret Railways'







Manchester

to Glossop and Hadfield, The Welsh Valleys: Merthyr and branches, The Ebbw Vale

line: Film stars and a phoenix, Vale of Glamorgan: Where you can find coastal

beauty, a TV hit, a vital scrap of history and forgotten disaster, London's new

Orbital Railway: Outer Circle Line or rail M25?















Appendix 1 The Inside Track







A

window-gazer's guide to 'rail things': stuff to look out for on your journey,

Train trivia.







Appendix 2 Useful Information







Books on

railways: read between the lines, Steamy affairs: best historic and preserved

railways.







Index