This is one of the oldest railway lines in the world. It opened in 1854. It connected the swamps of Essex to the money of London. The line was built by a company that literally went bankrupt. They dug tunnels by hand. With shovels. And candles.
Today, you ride on electric trains. But you’re following the same path as Victorian workers in top hats. Imagine them yelling, “Mind the gap!” in Cockney. Pure chaos. The real magic? The train arrives at Fenchurch Street – a station that looks like a wedding cake. It’s tiny. It has no Tube connection. It’s just there, wedged between skyscrapers.
