How Railways Transformed the World

Begin with an overview of the history and impact of railways, as a revolutionary technology that produced a superbly efficient means of transport. Grasp how railroads have been central to industrial societies, and have influenced politics, urbanization, social life, modern business, and more. Note the decline of trains in the later 20th century, followed by their astonishing comeback.

Learn about early steam tech, and the mounting of steam engines on vehicles, producing the first locomotives. Follow the rise of the first railways in Britain in the 1820s, and the brilliant engineers behind them. See how the proliferation of railways altered the landscape of Britain, accelerating urbanization, and observe the many ways that railways changed British life in the 19th century.

Following the British model, railroads quickly took root in America. Chart the groundbreaking lines, such as the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the challenges they faced in the great distances and rugged landscapes of the United States. Witness the developing railway technology in the United States, and the high accident rates in the 19th century owing to subpar equipment and standards

Trace the rapid spread of railroads in Europe from the 1830s, amid a politically volatile landscape. See how British engineers jump-started railways throughout Europe, starting with Belgium and Germany. Follow the creation of nationalized rail systems by Germany and France. Also take account of 19th-century engineering marvels on railways, such as extraordinary viaducts, bridges, and tunnels.

Grasp the core roles of railways in military conflicts in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Observe how the building of a railway transformed the British campaign in the Crimean War, and how cooperation between railroads and Union forces in the US Civil War was a major force in the Union war effort. Note the critical influence of railways in the Franco-Prussian, Boer, and Russo-Japanese wars.

Visualize the vast engineering project that linked the two coasts of the United States by rail. Learn how two companies built the first completed line, followed by other transcontinental routes, driving settlement and agricultural output across the United States. Assess the financial realities and abuses of these railroads, and the serious economic and ecological problems they provoked.

Observe how the building of railroads in India, by the British, strengthened British rule and commerce, yet also contributed to Indian nationalism and the movement for independence. Explore British, German, and French colonial railways within Africa and Vietnam, as they served the economic ends of empire. In Canada and Australia, see how railroad-building and nation-building were closely linked.

Here, investigate the fascinating approaches railway engineers have taken to the problems of steep gradients and mountainous terrain, creating some of the most amazing and enjoyable railroads in the world. Delve into examples of circuitous lines, spirals, zigzags, and rack and pinion railways, and travel with Professor Allitt on a few of the breathtaking mountain railroads of Switzerland.

Discover that the global tourism industry was largely an invention of railways. Encounter tourism pioneers Thomas Cook, Fred Harvey, and others who forged modern leisure travel principally using railroads. Witness the advent of US tourism, and the development of Florida, via railways. Then glimpse delightful and relaxing railway excursions in Switzerland, Norway, Spain, and Canada.

Railways were integrally involved in the rise of labor unions. Gauge the many dangers early railroad workers faced, and the oppressive working conditions that led them to organize in Britain and the United States. Take stock of the intense labor disputes with employers, the many strikes and violent confrontations, and the process by which workers gained recognition and better working conditions.

Look into the ways in which railway technology has been used within cities, to provide mass transit in urban areas. Witness the rise of streetcars, first horse-drawn and later electrified; cable cars; and the advent of under/overground railways in London, New York, and other cities. Take account of subways which were designed to be elegant and beautiful, such as in Moscow, Paris, and Stockholm.

Enjoy the remarkable tradition that produced railway stations as majestic and glorious architecture, reflecting their cultural centrality and rivaling the grandeur of other great urban buildings. Tour stations both large and small from the golden era of station design, roughly 1840 to 1930, with visits to terminals ranging from London, New York, and Paris to Milan, Helsinki, Mumbai, and beyond.

In the early 20th century, railroad policies drew fire from the public and legislators. Trace the effects of government regulation and antitrust legislation aimed at curtailing unfair practices by railroad companies. As of the 1920s, chart the competition posed by cars and aircraft, and how railroads responded with improved speeds, service, and technology, from streamlining to diesel power.

Take note of the centrality of railroads in World War I, in German military strategy and French defense, and their roles in the British campaign against the Ottomans and the Russian Revolution. In World War II, witness how Hitler’s misconception of railway logistics compromised the Nazi war effort, and observe how railways were used by the Soviets, during the Holocaust, and in the D-day invasion.

From the early years of railroads, novelists saw dramatic possibilities in rail travel. Discover how fiction writers used trains and train travel in their writings, highlighting novels by Dickens, Eliot, Tolstoy, Lewis, and many others. See how writers assessed the societal impact of railroads and used them to develop themes of time; social class; displacement; and a changing, industrial world.

Many artists responded to the cultural presence of railways. View the railway paintings of Turner, Monet, and others, as they explored the visual and human impact of trains and stations. Explore railway art that focused on the passengers and the social reality of train travel. Consider the challenges of photographing trains, and the masterful and evocative images of railroad photographers.

Since the beginnings of cinema, railroads have been a memorable and constant backdrop for films. In the silent era, trace the brilliant use of railroad settings in films by Buster Keaton, John Ford, and others. Note the inherent drama of train journeys in sound railway films, from La Bête Humaine and Hitchcock’s train films to the railway films of High Noon; Brief Encounter; and Runaway Train.

Track the fortunes of British railways from the 1940s to the present. Following their major role in World War II, learn about the postwar nationalization of railways and their later re-privatization, the end of the steam era and change to diesel and electric power, the reorganization of rail services in the 1960s, and enjoy some of the great railway routes of Britain.

In the postwar United States, take a look into at the severe decline of passenger rail traffic; the new focus on freight service; and the remaking of the railway industry through mergers, deregulation, and skillful management. See how government intervened, creating Amtrak and Conrail as viable passenger services, and learn about the operations of freight trains today.

High-speed offers yet another possibility for rail travel. Chart the development of the first “bullet” trains in Japan, reaching speeds of 200 mph, followed by similar vehicles in France, Spain, and the extensive network in China. Take note of the Eurostar trains which cross under the English Channel, and futuristic plans for train travel, such as “magnetic levitation” and “hyperloop” railways.

Within a remarkable tradition of railway heritage, enjoy a spectrum of Britain’s historic rail lines and trains. Among 150 preservation societies and museums, visit operating heritage railways in Wales and England, preservation workshops, and great railway museums at Didcot, York, and Swindon. Take the measure of the public’s love and veneration for British railway history.

Visit a range of preserved historic railroads in the United States, stop at Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home to stunning historic trains, and the equally impressive Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. In Colorado, take in the sights of the Georgetown Loop Railroad, the Royal Gorge Railway, and the extraordinary Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.

Join Professor Allitt for a trip across Western Europe, stopping first at some of the best new railway stations. View the luminous spaces of the Hauptbahnhof (Berlin), Frankfurt, and Liège stations. Then, take in the phenomenal Cité du Train museum in Alsace, and great railway museums in Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Consider the convenience and pleasures of the continent’s railway system.

Finish with a look at creative uses of disused railways. Learn about the repurposing of old rail lines as walking and cycling trails across the United States and Europe, enriching rural and urban communities. Observe the conversion of unused stations into public venues, from art museums to conference centers, hotels, and more. Conclude with reflections on the remarkable staying power of railways.