Death on The Nile

[pitdiver]

I am at the moment listening to the above on the the radio. Remembering this is the mid 30s Poirot mentions getting to Egypt by train. Would this have been possible and if so what have been the route.

 

[StephenHunter]

Three Continent Train. The Taurus Express to Iraq and Egypt

In 1930 the Taurus Express was introduced as an extension to the Simplon Orient Express. In Syria connections were provided to Iraq, Palestine and Egypt.

retours.eu

Not entirely by train at that time - it would have involved bus and ship for part of the route - but doable. Remember aircraft were heavily affected by weather then.

 

[Calthrop]

Three Continent Train. The Taurus Express to Iraq and Egypt

In 1930 the Taurus Express was introduced as an extension to the Simplon Orient Express. In Syria connections were provided to Iraq, Palestine and Egypt.

retours.eu

Not entirely by train at that time - it would have involved bus and ship for part of the route - but doable. Remember aircraft were heavily affected by weather then.

Featuring in a current thread on the "International Transport" sub-forum: would it not have been at that time, in fact possible by rail throughout (barring short hops by boat across the Bosphorus at Istanbul, and the Suez Canal) -- "technically", and in an unwieldy fashion involving breaks of gauge? The Middle East's standard-gauge system would take one through from Haydarpasa (Asian side from Istanbul) to Damascus. Then on to the 1050mm gauge Hedjaz system, south from Damascus to Dera'a junction; then along the 1050mm line westward from there across the River Jordan, to Haifa in what was then British Palestine; where the s/g could be picked up again, southward and westward into Egypt (as above, having en route to negotiate the Suez Canal).

I suspect that most potential passengers in those days would have regarded the above, definitely as "doing it the hard way": with Poirot's making this choice, likely to be down to his being terrified of sea and air travel; or a masochist; or a railway enthusiast.

EDITED TO ADD: have just realised -- the journey would have been yet a little more complicated: standard gauge from the north ended at that time, not at Damascus, but at Rayak in Lebanon, meeting there the 1050mm gauge Beirut -- Damascus line. Thus, change of gauge at Rayak, narrow-gauge train to Damascus; change of train no doubt in that city, for the n/g run southward.

 

[Gloster]

Or it could just mean that he travelled by rail to Marseille or Naples and continued by sea from there, rather than having boarded the ship at Southampton (or another Channel port) and travelled all the way round via the Bay of Biscay. An Italian line might have called at Bari, Brindisi or Reggio, further reducing the time he would be prostrate with mal de mer and risk damaging his moustaches.

 

[WesternLancer]

Three Continent Train. The Taurus Express to Iraq and Egypt

In 1930 the Taurus Express was introduced as an extension to the Simplon Orient Express. In Syria connections were provided to Iraq, Palestine and Egypt.

retours.eu

Not entirely by train at that time - it would have involved bus and ship for part of the route - but doable. Remember aircraft were heavily affected by weather then.

Excellent link - never seen that site before but a lot of interest on it!

 

[pitdiver]

Or it could just mean that he travelled by rail to Marseille or Naples and continued by sea from there, rather than having boarded the ship at Southampton (or another Channel port) and travelled all the way round via the Bay of Biscay. An Italian line might have called at Bari, Brindisi or Reggio, further reducing the time he would be prostrate with mal de mer and risk damaging his moustaches.

Hercule Poirot hated travel by sea although he could tolerate the channel crossing LOL