By Victorian times, a pleasure-palace industry emerged in Britain, and trains played a major role in encouraging civilized business and leisure travel. Drawing on archival research, Martyn Pring chronicles the past 150 years in the British railway industry, charting how this no-frills means of transportation changed to meet the needs of the nation's burgeoning middle and upper classes. In the 21st century, Pring shows, trains have upgraded yet again to compete with faster and more convenient means of transit. Along the way, Pring also discusses the wide range of luxury products and services that have been shaped by railway companies and hospitality businesses.