To the Sea by Train

Author: Andrew Martin

United Kingdom, Great Britain | 20th century | Museology & heritage studies | 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 | Social & cultural history | Railway technology, engineering & trades | Trains & railways: general interest | Travel & holiday guides

Published on 31^st July 2025 by Profile Books Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 304 pages, Colour plates
144mm x 224mm x 33mm | 422g

THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Vividly conjures a lost age' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Hugely entertaining' EVENING STANDARD'A feast of anecdotage' SUNDAY TIMESThroughout 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