What was the name of the train journey where J.K. Rowling conceived Harry Potter?

J.K. Rowling conceived Harry Potter during a train journey from Manchester to London.

According to Rowling, the idea came to her in 1990 while she was travelling on a delayed train. The character of Harry Potter and many elements of the wizarding world formed in her imagination during that journey. She did not have a pen with her, so she spent much of the trip thinking through the concept rather than writing it down.

The train story is often simplified into the phrase “a train journey,” but the route is specifically associated with Manchester and London. Rowling later developed the idea into a planned series, creating characters, magical institutions, and a detailed history before the first novel appeared. The Hogwarts Express became one of the most recognizable trains in modern children’s literature, though it is a fictional route from London’s King’s Cross to Hogwarts.