Hogwarts Express

The Hogwarts Express is the name of the train that makes a run between London, King's Cross Station Platform 9¾ and Hogsmeade Station. It makes this run at least six times a year, and probably more often than that, as needed. It carries students to Hogwarts Castle at the start and end of every term. The train leaves Platform 9¾ without fail on September 1 at 11 o'clock in the morning, arriving at Hogsmeade Station in the early evening. Most students take the train back to King's Cross Station to go home for the Christmas and Easter holidays. It also makes the run back again to London at the end of term in June.

In striking contrast to the rest of the British Rail system, the Hogwarts Express takes the form of a large red steam engine. It is a magical device, like the Ministry cars, the Knight Bus, and Wizarding Wireless Network. It borrows its form and its intended function from real steam trains, but not the technology.

The passenger carriages contain compartments set off a corridor, allowing each compartment to function as a self-contained stage within the larger train. During the long journey to Hogwarts, students may enjoy treats from a trolley, such as Pumpkin Pasties and Chocolate Frogs. There are usually no adults aboard the Hogwarts Express except the witch with the tea trolley and the driver, and possibly the fireman, who is needed to shovel coal into a locomotives boiler to keep it running. However, The Train would probably be bewitched to refuel itself. Occasionally new teachers (namely, Remus Lupin as well as Horace Slughorn) would be found aboard the train as well.

Prefects of the school ride in a separate carriage near the front of the train. The compartments on the train appear to be lettered; in 1996, the Slug Club met in Compartment C.

It was on the Hogwarts Express that Harry first got to know Ron Weasley in 1991 and first met many of the other people who played significant roles in his life, including Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Fred and George Weasley and, in later years, Remus Lupin and Luna Lovegood. The first confrontation between Harry and Draco Malfoy occurred on the train on the way to Hogwarts when Draco sneered at Ron and offered Harry friendship. Harry turned down Draco's offer abruptly, marking the beginning of a long-standing enmity and hatred between the two boys.

It was on the Hogwarts Express that Harry had his first encounter with a Dementor in 1993. In 1996 Harry and others were invited to a compartment occupied by Professor Horace Slughorn.

Behind the scenes

 * As J. K. Rowling has indicated that the idea of Harry Potter came to her on a train journey, it is fitting that the Hogwarts Express remains a central feature of the stories.
 * The locomotive used for the filming of the movies was a Great Western Railway Hall-Class locomotive, number 5972 'Olton Hall'. Many railway enthusiasts jokingly dubbed the engine 'the Hall that thinks its a Castle', as for filming it is renamed "Hogwarts Castle", a title usually reserved for the Castle-Class of locomotive, a larger type of machine also built by the Great Western Railway.
 * During principal photography of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, filming was shut down for several days after the train used as the Hogwarts Express was vandalized, costing £3000. The train was damaged again in March 2007, after filming of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was completed. A month was required to repair the locomotive, because of the £50,000 worth of damage.
 * The school train is traditionally reserved only for students. Only four adults were ever seen travelling on the train: the Food trolley lady, the conductor, Remus Lupin and Horace Slughorn.
 * In the first five films, the Hogwarts Express is shown to have four coaches. However, in the film version of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, it is shown to have five coaches. The fifth coach differs greatly from the rest, because it has no compartments. The fifth coach may have been added due to the fact that it has a luggage rack, which the other four lacked, the luggage rack was needed so Harry could eavesdrop on a conversation involving Draco Malfoy. It's also possible that its addition might reflect a higher-than-usual enrollment at Hogwarts.
 * Being an official vehicle of Hogwarts school, it's possible to surmise that it could be considered an extension of the school and thus fall under at least some of its rules and allowances. This may be why rule-abiding Hermione Granger felt free to cast the Oculus Reparo spell on Harry's glasses in the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which might have otherwise been a violation of underage magic restrictions.
 * There have been several models of the Hogwarts express released, including HO/OO scale models by Bachmann and Hornby, O scale by Lionel, and a new G scale model.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
Poudlard Express Хогвартс-экспресс