As the train leaves the station with a shrill whistle, people often sadly wave goodbyes to their loved ones who are leaving in the train. After the departure of the train, the platform wears a deserted look until the arrival of the next train which brings the platform back to life.

Those who frequently travel by train may be well aware of the fact that the train’s piercing whistle makes your heart skip a beat since it’s a metaphor of parting with your loved ones. However, if you haven’t experienced it so far, you need not despair because Rail Kee Seeti will take you to a world where these emotions can be experienced.

Written by Muhammad Hasan Mairaj, a blogger, political commentator and avid travel writer, this book is a travelogue, a cultural and historical tour from Rawalpindi station to the far-flung station of Uch Sharif. The fascinating journey starts from the seemingly stolid railway station of Rawalpindi whose English architecture is a reminder of our colonial rulers. With the first short piece on the Rawalpindi railway station, the author takes the readers along on a whirlwind tour of many small deserted railway stations. Along the way, we are informed about the history of these towns, along with stories about famous people, folklore and historical landmarks that belong to that town.

The task is no doubt herculean as such writings are usually very laborious to read; they turn into pyramids of insipid facts that are stuffed between the pages of the book. But in the case of this book, Mairaj laces the narrative with satirical, witty, and evocative short sentences that both make you laugh and leave you in a pensive mood. He has a natural flair for writing literary prose that keeps the readers glued to the book.

We come face-to-face with tiny railway stations of Mankiala, Chaklala and the newly constructed Gujjar Khan station. As the train crosses Jhelum, Mairaj describes in details a few of the grand historical episodes that the mighty river witnessed over the centuries. He also alludes to the great people of the city and does not forget the Gujral brothers -- I K Gujral and his brother, an acclaimed painter, Satish Gujral.

"Alexander conquered the city and also conquered the minds of the people living here. Many centuries have gone but still the people of the area gladly name their sons as ‘Sikandar’. The love for the conquerors is the eternal disease from which the people of the area are suffering from," writes Mairaj.  The last line is a powerful comment on the mentality of our people who have been glorifying pirates and buccaneers over the centuries.

Mairaj produces a nostalgic piece laced with humour and satire as the train crosses the Chenab river, which is also known as the river of lovers. He pays tribute not only to Sohni but also to Inayat Hussain Bhatti, Sabiha Khanum, Abdullah Hussain and Rafi Peer who gave a new identity to the city of Gujrat. On the same railway track the author reaches Sialkot, Narowal and Shakargarh and continues to tell the tales of the days gone by. Thus one journey ends and another starts from Gujranwala to Shahadra railway station, and then from Shahadra the train heads towards Faisalabad.

The author does not forget even the tiniest of railway stations and the histories of their accompanying towns and cities. When the train reaches Jaranwala, how can he forget its greatest son Bhagat Singh who was born in a village there. Further up, comes Danabad which is the birthplace of Mirza of Mirza Sahiban fame. The pieces on these two important places are real treats to read.

Mairaj has written a wonderful book on the cultural history of small towns and villages dotted along the railway track. The only missing element in the book is a bibliography that the author could have added at the end of the book.