Nobody likes trains as much as I thought they would – or at least not as much as I do. Isn’t it amazing to think they were such a big part of that industrial revolution – that excitement of movement and access to something so new, and so different to this English land. The train was the transport of the daytrip! Still is, and still a type of luxury – as much as a plane though financially sometimes more…
I wouldn’t know half as much as I know about the country I am a national of if it weren’t for the national rail. Or at least I wouldn’t know of, have an opinion of, or have a memory of such places. One borough in London is as different to a Devon beach, or Cumbria climb as one country is to another. Now yes, I know what I have said speaks more to the difference in urban and rural, but each geolocation difference brings about with it its own culture.
Everyone talks about cross-country culture but neglect the across a country culture. And what is beautiful is a train contains a collection of many o’ them.
We holiday in each other’s lives, but we don’t realise and we often forget. When I holiday – whether it be Britain or elsewhere – I am only a visiting tourist, doing visiting tourist things. I don’t go to know about the people who cannot leave where they are. What member of humanity am I who does not want to know or see about where I truly am?
I do not want to leave the privilege I am in, because it is a place that gives me more roads to get to where I want to go – I like my possibilities and options. Now I go towards travel, to new lands, not to hide from life but live it; unisolated from holiday resorts I go to live as a local for a little time.
Not many people use trains as much as I thought they would – not where I’m from at least, not for fun I mean. Nobody travels with inter-human connection in mind. Maybe if we did, we would better understand the ones and the things we say we are trying to help.
