Not only is it the season that finally, finally, brings a slow end to the coldness of winter, but it's when the flowers begin to bloom, the baby animals appear in fields, and when the world wakes up in a fantastic way after a long, dark time.

Literature and rail travel have always been intrinsically linked in some manner or other. A good book has alleviated even the most mundane rail journey.

What can be said about trains? They're fast, efficient, fairly stable modes of transport. Fantastic for commuting or transporting lots of heavy goods, and great at getting people to the heart of a destination with a fairly small amount of fuss furore.