Taurus Express
The Taurus Express is the train that carries Hercule Poirot from Aleppo to Constantinople at the start of Murder on the Orient Express. It is a winter morning, five o'clock, freezingly cold, and the train consists of a kitchen and dining-car, a sleeping-car, and two local coaches. Poirot is seen off by Lieutenant Dubosc, a young French officer, who has been delegated the duty of seeing off the distinguished Belgian detective. The train is scheduled to arrive in Constantinople on Monday evening, and the conversation on the platform is repetitive, with Dubosc repeatedly noting the arrival time. Poirot intends to remain in Constantinople as a tourist for a few days, but a telegram recalling him to England on important business will soon change his plans. The Taurus Express is also the setting for the first meeting between Poirot and two other key passengers: Mary Debenham, a young English lady from Baghdad, and Colonel Arbuthnot, an English colonel from India. Poirot observes them with interest, noting their reserved English manner and the subtle tension between them. The train's journey is marked by a delay when something catches fire under the dining-car, causing Mary Debenham to become anxious about missing her connection to the Simplon Orient Express. This anxiety, and the overheard conversation between her and Arbuthnot at Konya—"Not now. Not now. When it's all over. When it's behind us"—plants the first seeds of suspicion in Poirot's mind. The Taurus Express thus serves as a prologue, introducing the detective, the initial cast, and the themes of travel, delay, and hidden connections that will culminate in the murder on the Orient Express.
Journey and Delays
The Taurus Express departs Aleppo at five o'clock on a winter morning. The journey is marked by a significant delay when a fire under the dining-car causes the train to stop. Poirot learns from the conductor that the fire is not serious and has been put out, but the damage requires repair. Mary Debenham, who is standing nearby, is visibly agitated by the delay, fearing she will miss the connection to the Simplon Orient Express at Constantinople. Poirot notes her trembling hand and lips, and her intense anxiety. The train eventually makes up time and arrives at Hayda-passar only five minutes late. The Bosphorus crossing is rough, and Poirot is separated from his travelling companions on the boat. The Taurus Express thus establishes a pattern of travel disruption that will be amplified on the Orient Express, where a snowdrift will bring the train to a complete halt.
Passengers and Observations
On the Taurus Express, Poirot shares the journey with two English passengers: Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot. Poirot observes them at breakfast and lunch, noting their reserved English manner and the way they ignore him, dismissing him as "only some damned foreigner." He studies Mary Debenham, finding her tall, slim, dark, and efficient, with a cool, impersonal grey gaze. He judges her to be a young woman who can take care of herself with perfect ease. Colonel Arbuthnot is lean, brown-skinned, with hair slightly grizzled at the temples. Poirot notes the growing intimacy between them, as they discover mutual friends and Arbuthnot becomes more attentive. At Konya, Poirot overhears a fragment of their conversation: "Not now. Not now. When it's all over. When it's behind us." This exchange, and Mary Debenham's later anxiety about the delay, will later become crucial evidence in Poirot's investigation of the murder on the Orient Express.
Narrative Significance
The Taurus Express serves as a narrative prelude to the main events on the Orient Express. It introduces Poirot as a successful detective who has just completed a delicate mission in Syria, saving the honour of the French Army. It also introduces Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot, whose relationship and secret will be central to the later investigation. The train's delay and Mary Debenham's anxiety about missing the connection foreshadow the more serious delay caused by the snowdrift on the Orient Express. The Taurus Express thus establishes the themes of travel, time, and hidden connections that will be developed throughout the novel. It also provides Poirot with his first clues about the relationship between Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot, clues that will later help him unravel the conspiracy of the twelve passengers.
