120th Anniversary of the Stanford’s Map of the Siberian Railway

One of the most popular maps in our cartographic archive, The Stanford’s Map of the Siberian Railway was first published by Edward Stanford, Long Acre on the 1st February 1904 making this year its 120th anniversary.

“Not only is this a geographical map, it’s a historical one. A moment in time as well as space.” –Colin Thubron.

Depicting the great land route to China and Korea, this vital rail route was also known as the Moscow Highway or the Tea Route because of the large quantities of tea exported from China. It connected European Russia to Siberia and China.

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Map of the Month: A Travellers’ Railway Map of Europe

All Aboard! Take to the tracks and see Europe via the most scenic routes rail travel has to offer.

Our Map of the Month for September 2022 is A Travellers’ Railway Map of Europe. Presenting the Continent in a series of six maps with their enlargements, including ten city maps indicating locations of their main railway stations and a map of the high-speed network.

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Children’s Book of the Month

Stanfords Children’s Book of the Month for November 2021 is The Trans-Siberian Railway Illustrated by Anna Desnitskaya, Text by Aleksandra Litvina.

A gloriously illustrated journey through Russia along the length of the Trans- Siberian railway.

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Slow trains coming…

by Tom Chesshyre

Tom Chesshyre took to Spain’s clickety-clack railway lines for a 3,000-mile adventure on 52 rides described in his new travel book and our Book of the Month for April, Slow Trains Around Spain. Here is a taster of his journey:

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Book of the Month: Slow Trains Around Spain by Tom Chesshyre

Between soaring mountains, across arid deserts, parched plains and valleys of fruit orchards and olive groves, down glittering coastlines and along viaducts towering above plunging ravines – there is no better way to see Spain than by train.

In our Book of the Month for April, Slow Trains Around Spain: A 3,000- Mile Adventure on 52 Rides Tom Chesshyre hits the tracks to take in the UK’s most popular travel destination through carriage windows on a series of clattering rides beyond the popular image of ‘holiday Spain’ (although he stops by in Benidorm and Torremolinos too). Heading wherever the trains take him in a big S-shape around the country, Tom slips into the rhythm of the tracks meeting characters aplenty along the way. From hidden spots in Catalonia, through the plains of Aragon and across the north coast to Santiago de Compostela, his journey takes him onward via Madrid, the wilds of Extremadura, dusty mining towns, the cathedrals and palaces of Valencia and Granada, and finally to Seville, Andalusia’s beguiling (and hot) capital.

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Scotland From The Rails

To celebrate the launch of Scotland From The Rails, author Benedict le Vay takes us on a wee journey to explain exactly what makes seeing Scotland from the rails such a special experience.

Scotland is, truth be told, a land of railway superlatives. As well as the most scenic line in the world, it offers the most romantic rail journeys in Britain. The highest main-line summits. The longest bridge. The highest railway viaduct. The longest and boldest spans. The greatest manmade wonder, some would add. The most famous railway bridge in the world. The two grandest British main lines (one end of each, that is). The most northernly station in Britain, and the most westerly too. The most successful standard-gauge timetabled steam service. The best railway reopenings and electrification projects. The most complex sleeper operations. Some of the friendliest staff, and the loveliest – and sometimes downright quirky – station buildings. And for icing on the cake, or rather cream on the cranachan, some utterly charming preserved lines, steam centres and luxury excursion trains, which cruise through this magnificent land.

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Around the World in 80 Trains: Stanfords Travel Writing Festival 2019

When Monisha Rajesh announced plans to circumnavigate the globe in eighty train journeys, she was met with wide-eyed disbelief. But it wasn’t long before she was carefully plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles, almost twice the circumference of the earth, coasting along the world’s most remarkable railways from the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet’s Qinghai railway to silk sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Continue reading Around the World in 80 Trains: Stanfords Travel Writing Festival 2019

Talking Trains: Monisha Rajesh and Julian Holland

To kick things off, Monisha Rajesh, author of Around India in 80 Trains, and Julian Holland, author of Railway Days Out are talking trains – comparing their top three rail journeys in the UK and India. Continue reading Talking Trains: Monisha Rajesh and Julian Holland