In conversation with Monisha Rajesh

In her latest project, Moonlight Express, Monisha Rajesh turns to the sleeper train, celebrating the romance, magic, and occasional chaos of nighttime journeys. Surrounded by the satisfyingly, geographically arranged oak bookshelves of Daunt in Marylebone, Monisha and I sat down to talk about her latest publication, the sleeper train renaissance, and how she prepares for a night on the rails.

Harriet: Thanks so much for chatting with me today. Firstly, I’d love to ask where the inspiration for your latest book, Moonlight Express, came from.

Monisha: Well, it came during lockdown when I could see that night trains were having a little bit of a resurgence. I started to see that a couple of private companies were popping up. I wouldn't say they were having a renaissance yet, because none of us could travel, but there were definite suggestions, so I kept my eye on it.

I suppose it was lockdown that made people really think about how they were travelling. People were suddenly very aware of not just climate change but the climate crisis. They were mindful of how they were going to move through the world more thoughtfully. People started turning towards slow travel again.

Slow travel has always existed, but I think it's become much more on people's radars since lockdown because we are more aware of the damage we’re causing to the environment. I think we also have a growing desire to make connections with people again in a way that we’ve lost with budget airlines, high-speed trains, and this obsession with trying to get everywhere quickly.

So I kept an eye on things, and over the last four years, I could see that sleeper trains were definitely having a comeback. And I think the operator that's really been leading that is Austrian State Railways’ Nightjet. In December 2016, Deutsche Bahn, who are Germany's railways, decided to get rid of all their sleeper carriages. Austria's railways took them all, and kitted the whole lot out and turned them into Nightjet. And Nightjet has really been pioneering sleeper trains all over Europe.

But sleeper trains are also just are so much fun. They are so much more fun than your regular day train because they bring you much closer together with people. On day trains, you're still always trying to get from A to B. Even though they can be leisurely, lovely journeys, you’re still mindful that it's going to end soon. But with a sleeper train, you get on and you know you’ve got 12 hours ahead of you to do whatever you want. You're not going to get off anytime soon. You're going to go to bed, you’re going to sit in a dining car, you're going to chat to people in your compartment. It’s this amazing gift of time that you get on a sleeper train, which has that romance of rail travel that I don’t think day trains have.

Harriet Matthews

Harriet: You mentioned there's been growing interest in sleeper trains - why do you think this is?

Monisha: I think we've just started to really look at how we're moving around. Long-distance journeys on aeroplanes are really expensive now as well. People have less time. I think that when you embark on slow travel and take sleeper trains, you're already beginning your adventure when you arrive at the platform. You don't have to wait until you get to your destination. For a lot of people, they want to feel like they’re already there when they’re embarking on a journey.

And with sleeper trains, from all the people I chatted to for my book, the journey itself is the destination. They’re not really worried about the state of the compartment, or the high-tech, or Wi-Fi on board—they just want to feel something that I don’t think you can get from driving or buses or flying. Trains have something really special about them. People want to feel that magic of travel again.

Harriet: How do you prepare for a night on a sleeper train? 

Monisha: It depends who I'm travelling with, and it depends on the kind of trains I'm on. That's the lovely thing about sleeper trains. You have so many different options for whatever suits you. If you want luxury, you can have a lovely double bed with lovely hand soap, moisturiser, and a shower. But there are also budget trains, where you can travel in a mixed couchette with six complete strangers. If I'm doing one of those journeys, I've got earplugs, an eye mask, loo roll (because you never know!), wet wipes, and lots of snacks. Sachets of tea. 

I also always have bed socks, because I get quite cold. You don't know what the temperature will be. Some trains are volcanic hot, some are Arctic cold. I also bring a small hot water bottle—enough to warm the bed up before you get in. But honestly, I don't need very much. The fewer things you take, the fewer things you actually use.

Harriet: What makes someone a great travel companion on a long journey?

Monisha: In my book, I travel with different people in every chapter. Sometimes I travel with my kids, sometimes alone, sometimes with my photographer Mark, who I actually met in India on a train 15 years ago! But you need someone with no inhibitions. Someone fairly extroverted. It can be quite a culture shock if you’ve never been on a sleeper train to find yourself sleeping in a compartment with strangers, using a shared loo, and not necessarily having a shower. You have to be open-minded, not too precious, and someone who likes to talk to people. It’s impossible to be on a sleeper train without chatting, whether it's someone passing in a corridor, in the dining car, or your compartment mates.

But conversation on trains comes very easily. It’s very unlike any other place. You get conversation going with the smallest things. It can just spark by asking “do you know what time we get in?” and suddenly you're talking about the world’s problems, about schools and your life stories.

Harriet: How do you spend your first morning in a new place?

Monisha: It can be tricky, especially with kids, turning up at 7 am and not having anywhere to go. But one of my most endearing memories is arriving in Vienna, and within 20 minutes, I was standing in front of The Kiss, by Klimt, at the Belvedere. I’d pulled into the station, walked 15 minutes, and suddenly I was standing in front of this iconic painting, coffee in hand, thinking, “this is magic”. Sleeper trains virtually always pull into the heart of the city—you can be in a museum, gallery, or café so quickly. That convenience makes such a difference.

Harriet: What’s usually in your suitcase?

Monisha: I can't remember the last time I travelled with a suitcase! For train journeys, I use a medium-sized backpack because I don’t like the cumbersome nature of wheeled luggage.

Comfortable trainers, foldable ballet flats, a Kindle (I love hardbacks, but they're too heavy). Concealer, Vaseline, and maybe blush if I look dead in the morning and haven’t slept. But really, I take very little. The lighter, the better. A zip-up fleece and a nice gilet over the top can make you a bit smarter.

Harriet: I agree! I often find I regret overpacking rather than underpacking.

Monisha: Yes. I actually went interrailing with my kids in May for 10 days, just the three of us. They were seven and five at the time. I made them each take a little backpack with all their clothes in and said, “whatever you take, you carry”. I didn’t carry their bags once. They carried them themselves and didn’t question it. It's amazing how capable kids are when you let them be. I’m hoping that sticks as they get older. 

Harriet: How did you find travelling with kids on sleeper trains?

Monisha: You know what, really straightforward. My husband said to me, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’. And we were! We booked women-only compartments from Nice to Paris, and the one from Vienna to Rome. They were really great. Kids just love bunk beds! There's so much for them to see, both outside the window and inside the compartment, so they were never bored. People are very sweet with children, too. Kids are a really wonderful way to break the ice with other people, too.

Harriet: How would you describe your perfect trip?

Monisha: It would have to have a dining car, which is the beating heart of a night train. It’s where everyone comes together, even if they’re not eating, they just want company and someone to sit with. Ideally, an en-suite bathroom and amazing scenery. Give me a cup of tea and beautiful views, and that’s all I need.

Harriet: You’ve been to some amazing places. Is there any place or journey that’s still on your list?

Monisha: I haven't done a single journey in Africa yet. I think that’s sort of conscious because I think I’m saving them for a book at some point… 

Harriet: You heard it here first! Thank you so much for chatting with us, Monisha.

Monisha: Thank you—it’s been so lovely.

Harriet Matthews

Monisha's favourite routes

Sleeper to Sicily

"The sleeper train to Sicily is hands-down one of my favourite night trains in Europe owing to the wonderful outdated but charming way in which the train makes the crossing over the Strait of Messina. With a gentle shunt, which often goes unnoticed by passengers, the train carriages are uncoupled at dawn, at the port of Villa San Giovanni, and lined up side by side on a ferry which makes the 20-minute crossing. Passengers usually stay asleep while other can hop out and go up to the deck to watch the sun break over the Peloritani Mountains while the seagulls scream in the air. On the other side the carriages are coupled again and the train carries on along the edge of the sea, with lemon groves flashing by."

Brasov by sleeper train

"Travelling through Transylvania is a wild ride through summer or winter, with landscapes that constantly change from lakes and dense forest to the vastness of farms and fields with the Carpathian foothills a haze on the horizon. When I travelled this route I was reading Bram Stoker's Dracula which is set in this region and the book opens with Jonathan Harker riding the same train and spotting the same castles and fortified towns en route."

Sleeper train to Lapland

"Few trains have all the necessary parts that combine to make a truly exceptional night-train adventure, but the Santa Claus Express from Rovaniemi has it all: double-decker carriages, a fabulous dining car serving meatballs and mash and steaming plates of reindeer stew, and wide comfortable berths with en-suite facilities. The tracks and smooth and the ride a seamless, quiet journey which can make for a winter wonderland adventure at Christmas or a midnight-sun adventure in June or July, when Finnish lakes are ideal for sailing, fishing and swimming."