The wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world – one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions.
From Austria’s Nightjet to Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper and Finland’s Santa Claus Express, Rajesh invites us on a multi-year adventure aboard the world’s most wondrous night trains. Along the way she samples reindeer stew on the night-train to Norway, sips on pisco sours while riding the Belmond Andean Explorer to the shores of Lake Titicaca – and considers a game of cricket down a carriage on the Shalimar Express.
A decade ago night trains were giving way to budget airlines and high-speed rail. But as people search for slower and more environmentally friendly ways to travel, night trains are in the midst of a renaissance. By turns romantic and hilarious, Moonlight Express brings us along for the ride – and drops us back at the platform before sunrise.
Moonlight Express
By Monisha Rajesh
Following her award-winning journey in Around the World in 80 Trains (57K TCM), Monisha Rajesh explores the art of slow travel by sleeper train with her signature wit, warmth and enthusiasm in Moonlight Express.
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Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) | Pub date: November 2025 | Format: 234 x 153mm | Extent: 336 pages | Word Count: 90,000 wordsAbout the Author
Monisha Rajesh is a British journalist whose writing has appeared in Time magazine, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Sunday Telegraph. Her first book, Around India in 80 Trains, was named one of the Independent’s best books on India. Her second book, Around the World in 80 Trains, was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book Award and won the National Geographic Traveller Award for Best Book. In 2024 she was selected for Conde Nast's Women Who Travel Power List, alongside Eva Longoria, Padma Lakshmi and others. She lives in London.
