The novel is about the quiet life of a couple living in the middle of the woods and their attempts at imagining what a railroad is based on what they have heard.
[1] In 2007, WSOY published a perfect copy of the 1892 colour edition illustrated by Eero Järnefelt.
One important element is over-use of alcoholic beverages, which is a common theme in Finnish literature as the start of decadent events.
Aho's closest friends included the Järnefelt family, whose critic significantly influenced the artistic form of Rautatie.
The Finnish edition has also been published as Rautatie eli Kertomus ukosta ja akasta, jotka eivät olleet sitä ennen nähneet ("The railroad, that is a tale of a man and a woman, who had not seen it ever before").