Railhead

Q: "What is the Railhead series about?"

"In a far-future galaxy, sentient trains travel between worlds through mysterious portals called K-gates. Zen Starling is a petty thief recruited for a heist that pulls him into a conflict involving corporate families, artificial intelligences, and the secret history of the rail network."

Q: "What order should I read the Railhead books?"

"Read them in order: Railhead (2015), Black Light Express (2016), and Station Zero (2018). The story continues directly across all three books."

Q: "Is Railhead connected to Mortal Engines?"

"No, Railhead is set in an entirely different universe. While both feature impressive mobile technology, Railhead takes place across multiple worlds in a space opera setting rather than on a single post-apocalyptic Earth."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Railhead	2015	Philip Reeve	Buy
2	Black Light Express	2016	Philip Reeve	Buy
3	Station Zero	2018	Philip Reeve	Buy

The Railhead trilogy is Philip Reeve’s space opera about Zen Starling, a young thief living in a galaxy connected by rails. Trains in this world are sentient beings called locos, and they travel between planets through K-gates, portals created by a vanished alien civilization. When a mysterious figure named Raven recruits Zen for a dangerous job, he gets caught up in events that threaten the entire network.

Reeve creates a detailed future where corporate families control entire worlds, motorik (artificial humans) have their own culture and desires, and the trains themselves have personalities and agendas. The trilogy balances action and world-building while asking questions about identity, consciousness, and what makes someone human.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Railhead series about?

In a far-future galaxy, sentient trains travel between worlds through mysterious portals called K-gates. Zen Starling is a petty thief recruited for a heist that pulls him into a conflict involving corporate families, artificial intelligences, and the secret history of the rail network.

What order should I read the Railhead books?

Read them in order: Railhead (2015), Black Light Express (2016), and Station Zero (2018). The story continues directly across all three books.

Is Railhead connected to Mortal Engines?

No, Railhead is set in an entirely different universe. While both feature impressive mobile technology, Railhead takes place across multiple worlds in a space opera setting rather than on a single post-apocalyptic Earth.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order