26 Hours on a Saharan Freight Train
More than a mile long and consisting of 200 freight cars, Mauritania’s Train du Desert is one of the longest and heaviest trains in the world. Completed in 1963, the train operates daily between Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast and the iron ore mines in Zouerat, in the middle of the country – a journey of around 450 miles that takes about 13 hours each way. Although its primary purpose is to transport ore from the mines, from the beginning Mauritanians have hopped rides on the freight cars to reach remote desert settlements. [wired.com]
How to take an epic train trip through Eastern Canada
VIA Rail’s Ocean train is one of the best ways to explore Canada’s eastern provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island—that make up the Canadian Maritime. It’s even better when you turn it into a week-long trip, hopping off The Ocean to savor the sights and flavors between Montreal and Halifax on foot and by car. (Ed note: due to Covid-19, the Ocean is currently suspended until November 1st). [afar.com]
Six literary rail journeys to recreate: from Moscow to Mallaig
There’s something about train travel that has inspired writers since its inception in the nineteenth-century. Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope (who often wrote his novels on the long train journeys he had to take as a Post Office inspector) were early exponents of the literary train journey, and their mantle has been taken up by many writers since. Train journeys seem to lend themselves to thrillers and children’s books, as well as poems: the transience of train travel brings disparate characters together for a short time with often explosive results. [.spectator.co.uk]
The enduring romance of the night train
If on a winter’s night a traveller is about to board a train, a fortifying drink is of the essence. Thus it was that I stood in line at Burger King, on the concourse at Queen Street station, in Glasgow, and asked for a hot tea. The only reason that I wasn’t seeking out a dram of whiskey was that I had already done so, dropping into a pub on my way to the station. In short, I was well drammed up – as was the Glaswegian beside me, who leaned on the counter and inquired what I was up to. Taking the Caledonian Sleeper to London, I replied. [newyorker.com]
