A common sight in the movies, trains can symbolise everything from romance to suspense.

Aliya takes a look at their varied meanings…

It became harder to take them on a thrilling ride of adventure; theyd seen it all before.

So what does it mean when the director chooses to show us a train on the screen?

Is the train a different kind of a symbol depending on the genre?

Nothing symbolises that first step into a land of adventure like a train journey.

Or sometimes the destination is unknown.

It carries her from her safe past to a place unfamiliar to her her adulthood.

J.J. AbramsSuper 8(2011) uses a train as a similar catalyst.

Children witness a train wreck, and the aftermath of that places them into adult situations and dangers.

Sometimes you dont even have to ride on the train for it to derail your childhood.

Once you grow up, a railway journey heralds a different kind of change, or a fresh challenge.

She must reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

The bomb cannot be defused, and the event cannot be changed.

The unstoppability of trains is hardly a new feature in films.

If you thought silent films were slow and boring, I recommend trying this one out.

It races along faster than the train thats meant to do in Gloria.

The only difficulty is in keeping up with the plot.

Peril lies both inside and outside the carriage.

The villains arrive by railway, which is a symbol of the death of the traditional Wild West.

Capitalism and greed will destroy the openness of the plains as surely as the laying of the track.

With the rise of the superhero movie came the subversion of the classic unstoppable train.

Now they can be stopped by someone who is better than your boring standard human.

Superman, Spiderman, the X-Men, Mr Incredible, and Hancock have all had dealings with trains.

Just as the hero steps out of the mould, so does the villain and the plot.

More than the train is being derailed here.

They flirt and feint with a sophistication that suits this stylish thriller of assumed identities.

Identities can change in the course of a single journey.

InSuspicion(1941) Hitchcock plays with our expectations of a quiet train journey.

The film starts in darkness, and we hear Cary Grants voice apologising for stepping on someones foot.

Then we are given the picture Grant has entered Joan Fontaines carriage (another tongue-in-cheek Hitchcock euphemism…).

Its an unpredictable beginning to their relationship.

Do we take it seriously or not?

If its a tragic love story, chances are the train isnt going to get boarded at all.

One of the greatest love films ever made is David LeansBrief Encounter(1945).

When their friendship deepens into love, they realise they cant hurt their spouses and decide to part.

They never do take a train ride together.

Their love remains in the cafe, with the stale rock cakes and cold tea.

Anna Kareninais a classic novel that has been made into a film many times.

She chooses to throw herself under the train rather than board it.

She asks him solemnly if she should throw herself under.

He tells her that wont be required this is musical comedy, after all, not tragedy.

Its a beautiful film, filled with optimism and intelligence.

I cant think of many more happy train love stories I wonder why that is?

Apologies if I missed out your favourites.

Lets finish on that evergreen hero who really knows how to use a train James Bond.

Bond films understand that the viewers want stories that take us away on a long ride.

And thats the key to a great film transportation.