The call of the train whistle, the pounding of the pistons, the puff of the steam - the sound of the railway is a symphony unto itself and has inspired artists and musicians across the world to compose music about and on the theme of rail travel.

Welcome to the future! Please leave your slow trains, your outdated tickets and your rackety old carriages at the door.

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.

The breath taking and rippling beauty of splendid Southern India seeps into every aspect of this magnificent corner of the world.

As a nation, Germany seems to operate in its own sphere, a land which defies time and history by melding its ancient timeline with the heady skyscrapers of the future.

With the curtain falling on the madness of 2017 and the prospect of a back-to-rights 2018 on the horizon, now is the best time of all to start casting your eye across the continent for a new destination to explore.

A time for delicious food, good will and family – you’d be forgiven for thinking this blog was about Christmas with an introduction like that!

At Christmas time, pantries across the world are stocked to the brim with festive goodies, the snow drizzled huts of Christmas markets are loaded with all manner of tastes and smells, and the tables of every house are loaded with delicious joy.

Azure coastlines of sparkling beauty on the French Riviera, the dusky allure of Spanish Andalucía’s golden cities and the timeless romance of Italy’s Amalfi Coast

Nothing quite shouts Christmas quite like Christmas markets. Lit up by the warm glow of red, green and gold lights, these rambling bustles of festive activity embrace the best parts of the most wonderful time of the year, celebrating everything and anything of a yuletide nature.

While in almost every holiday the destination is the attraction in itself, there is nothing that truly gives as much of an insight into the culture and people of that destination than experiencing a special event.

With the unique iconography, the rosy nostalgia and the inherent romance, rail travel and trains have long been a deep well of inspiration for the cinematic industry. From Bond to Potter, Wes Anderson to Alfred Hitchcock, all manner of trains have appeared in all kinds of film including thrillers, romances and comedies. In a difficult list to compile and with minor spoilers for some films, here are our favourite film scenes featuring trains and railways: