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{{trope}}
Train journeys provide a number of advantages for plotting a thriller. They are an enclosed space with a sense of claustrophobia, uncomfortable proximity to strangers with several good justifications for [[Closed Circle|why people can't leave]]. Long distance train journeys take several days during which the train is locked into a course going through wild terrain with no reception. This may or may not be the best time to commit a murder but it's a damn good time to write about one.
Thus it is that several works create thrillers set around a train. Despite all the advantages noted above, there may need to be adjustments made. Sometimes you just need that extra space or cubby holes to hide in so they'll make use of those places on trains people won't normally see, the kitchen cart and luggage compartment. If train companies have made any security measures to stop people walking off the back door or getting onto the roof, they won't be in this film.
The train no longer has to be part of the whole work. You might have a train based episode in a series but it won't be much of a [[Bottle Episode]] since it requires a new set and extras. There may be brief departures from the train but the time spent on the train should be enough to set up enough plot elements to stop people wandering too far or going to get help.
Plane based thrillers...are almost exactly identical but they're covered by [[Death in
Not to be confused with dancing to [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''Thriller'' on a train.
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{{examples
== Anime & Manga ==
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (anime)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' anime episode "The Man with the Mechanical Arm" had a terrorist attack inside a train.
** The episode itself was based on an early chapter of the manga; the ''Brotherhood'' anime left it out due to its lack of long-term importance.
* ''[[Baccano
* ''[[Soul Eater]]'': episode 30 of the anime, "The Red Hot Runaway Express". Kid, Patty and Liz have to board the speeding train and fight an enemy on board for possession of a magical artifact, while a third party outside is fighting both sides.
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== Film ==
* Hitchcock's spy thriller ''[[
* ''[[
* The [[Gene Wilder]]- [[Richard Pryor]] film ''[[Silver Streak]]'' has Wilder's character see a man thrown from a train. The film doesn't stay on the train, in fact he meets Pryor's character off the train, but in that first stretch he gets set up for the crime which means that he gets isolated from society and has to get back onto the train to solve the issue himself.
* ''[[Transsiberrian]]'' takes the elements of this trope to the extreme. It's the longest train journey in the world against some of the most famously inhospitable territory involving Americans travelling from China to Moscow. In order to work in some believable chase and action sequences they don't stay on the same train but they stick to their guns and have them steal a section of train.
* The 1946 [[Sherlock Holmes]] film ''Terror By Night'', touted with the [[Tagline]], "One Way Ticket To ''DEATH!''"
** Also, the train sequence in ''[[Sherlock Holmes (
* The original ''[[Under Siege]]'' was a well known example of [[Die Hard
* ''[[wikipedia:Horror Express|Horror Express]]''
* The [[Slasher Film]] ''[[
* ''[[Runaway Train (
* A significant portion of ''[[From Russia
* ''Snakes on a Train''.
* ''Train'', where the eponymous vehicle turns out to be operated by organ snatchers.
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== Literature ==
* ''[[Murder
** Another [[
** Also ''4.50 From Paddington'' - the story opens with Miss Marple's friend witnessing a murder on a train running next to hers, and the first mystery to be solved is why there is no body to be found on the train or even lying in ground near the tracks where it might have been thrown from the train.
* Short story "The Napoli Express" is [[
* The [[Solar Pons]] story ''The Adventure of the Orient Express''.
* The [[Phryne Fisher]] novel ''Murder on the Ballarat Train''.
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== Live Action TV ==:
* ''[[Chuck]]'' season 3, episode 14, ''Chuck vs. the Honeymooners''. Chuck and Sarah are on a train and see an ETA member and try for an impromptu mission using the other passengers' items as gadgets.
* ''[[Laverne and Shirley]]'' - "Murder on the Moosejaw Express."
* On ''[[SCTV]]'' there was a parody sketch of ''Orient Express'' called "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C8VMdBaCPg Death Takes No Holiday]," featuring John Candy as Hercule Poirot uttering the immortal lines, "Someone abord zis train is a Murderer! -- Perhaps ''even ze Train Itself ... '''IS A MURDERER!'''''
* [[Benny Hill]] did a ''Murder on the Orient Express'' sketch once using various US TV detectives (Kojack, McCloud, etc.) along with Hercule Poirot.
* ''[[
* ''[[The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'' did this in "Mystery on the Avalanche Express".
* ''[[Quantum Leap]]'': "Honeymoon Express"
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== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[Call of Cthulhu (tabletop game)]]'' supplements ''Fearful Passages'' ("The Iron Ghost" adventure) and ''Horror on the Orient Express'' both have train-based adventures.
* TSR's ''Top Secret'', adventure TS005 ''Operation: Orient Express''. A set of espionage adventures that occur on the famous title train.
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== Video Games ==
* ''[[The Last Express]]''. The Pre- World War 1 Orient Express setting gives it a very Christie feel and then it actually tries to use some of the same setting advantages that you might get in other media using this trope by having the game take place in real time.
* Chapter 6 of ''[[Paper Mario:
* The Ecliptic Express in ''[[Resident Evil
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* The ''[[Ruby Gloom]]'' 2-parter "Last Train to Gloomsville" parodies just about every train-thriller cliche to the max.
* The [[Looney Tunes]] short ''Boston Quackie'' takes place on board 'Le Cloak and Dagger Express'.
* The ''[[King of the Hill]]'' episode "Strangeness on a Train" has Peggy set up her birthday party on a disco-themed murder mystery play on a train. When her streak of unlucky birthdays leads to the mystery getting spoiled,<ref>Mostly due to Dale being a [[Jerkass]]</ref>
* ''[[Danger Mouse]] On The Orient Express'' takes place on said train, where DM and Penfold must retrieve a document that would allow Baron Greenback to raze all of Europe's tourist attractions and lure tourists to his (''shudder!'') museum of Barry Manilow record sleeves.
* The [[Bugs Bunny]] cartoon ''Wild And Wooly Hare'' climaxes with Sam and Bugs playing chicken with trains.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Vehicle Tropes]]
[[Category:Plots]]
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