photo: Wally Gobetz / Flickr/London - UK - Marylebone: Baker Street tube station; illustrative photo
From secret agents to sabotage, trains have played a crucial role in espionage for over a century. You might never look at railways the same way again.
Spying and intelligence gathering have shaped world history for centuries. Whether in times of peace or war, having accurate, timely information has often influenced the fate of nations. Records of espionage date back to ancient times, with stories of spies and secret agents woven into history. However, the role of railways in espionage emerged later—yet when it did, it left an undeniable mark.
The Evolution of Railway Espionage
One of the earliest connections between trains and espionage can be found during the American Civil War. While the greatest railway expansion in the U.S. occurred after the war (between 1870 and 1890), trains already played a vital role in moving troops, supplies, and equipment during the conflict. As reliance on railways grew, so did the opportunities for sabotage and intelligence gathering.
One of the most notorious railway spies of the Civil War was Samuel Ruth, who worked as chief supervisor of the railway network in Confederate-controlled Virginia. Using his position, he leaked information about troop movements to the Union and intentionally delayed or sabotaged railway repairs. Despite being suspected multiple times, he managed to avoid exposure until the war’s end.
By the late 19th century, railways were expanding worldwide, and their strategic importance became even more pronounced during World War I. Trains were used not only to transport soldiers to the front lines but also to deploy armored trains as offensive weapons. Civilians played a crucial role in railway espionage, particularly in German-occupied Belgium, where locals risked their lives to inform Allied forces about troop movements.
During World War II, railway sabotage and espionage reached a new level. Railway workers and ordinary citizens played a significant role in disrupting enemy operations. One of their greatest contributions came in the lead-up to the Allied D-Day landings in Normandy. French resistance fighters carried out extensive sabotage operations, damaging railway infrastructure, while rail workers deliberately delayed German military transport to slow reinforcements.
However, sabotage wasn’t one-sided. Nazi Germany also attempted to disrupt enemy infrastructure. One of the most infamous cases was Operation Pastorius, a failed mission where Nazi agents were smuggled into the U.S. by submarine. Their objective? To sabotage critical infrastructure, including major railway hubs. Fortunately, the operation was uncovered before any damage was done.
From the Cold War to the Modern Era
After World War II, espionage entered its golden age, inspiring countless films, books, and legends—including James Bond, created by Ian Fleming. One of Fleming’s stories, From Russia with Love, takes place aboard the legendary Orient Express.
But while that story was fiction, the real-life role of the Orient Express in Cold War espionage was very real. The train was frequently used by Western diplomatic couriers, who transported classified information and equipment beyond the Iron Curtain. Their routes primarily connected Vienna with Budapest and Bucharest. The Office of the Historian, a U.S. government archive, has since published several declassified accounts of these operations.
Today, trains are rarely the setting for high-stakes espionage. With modern satellite surveillance and digital intelligence, military movements are easier to track than ever before, and there’s no longer a need for spies to smuggle documents across closed borders by rail.
However, recent events have proven that railways are still vulnerable to sabotage. One example occurred in France, just before the 2024 Paris Olympics, when railway infrastructure was targeted in a suspected act of sabotage.