To the Sea by Train

Andrew Martin

£18.99

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Profile Books Ltd
31 July 2025
ISBN: 9781805221555
Hardback
304 pages

From the publisher

A lively history of the seaside holiday by train from Britain's 'Bard of the Buffer'

'Andrew Martin is a railway wizard' Telegraph
'Leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel' Financial 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.