The railway was the creation, in some ways the archetypal creation, of the Victorian age. It transformed the whole social and intellectual fabric of Britain, affected Victorian thought and language, figured in the literature of the age, inspired artists, transformed communications and expanded the horizons of ordinary folk.

This absorbing book looks at every aspect of the railway in Victorian times from the origins and initial construction to the spreading impact on the nation; from engineers and financiers to the effect on leisure and the environment. This is a story that is not only enthralling in its own right but also fundamental to an understanding of British history and the nature of Britain today.