Train rides might be pleasant and enjoyable, giving people the chance to sit back and relax and listen to music or a podcast or read a good book, when a train is used in the horror genre, it’s a very different scenario.

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According to TV Tropes, the “Afterlife Express” horror trope is like a “vehicular version of The Grim Reaper.” When these trains appear in horror TV shows and movies, they are creepy or evil and don’t follow a schedule. Ghosts will often board these trains and be moved to the afterlife, which explains the title of the trope. TV Tropes notes that the souls who are on the train aren’t in charge at all, as the train is going one place only, and there is often a “spooky train whistle.” Sometimes audiences will see the conductor who is in charge of the train, and he’s a fun part of this trope.

TV Tropes notes that The Frighteners has an “Afterlife Express” train that travels to Hell. Its appearance is that of a big worm. This is definitely a unique way of using the trope as the train does often look like an actual train but not here. Released in 1996, the movie is about Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) whose wife Debra (Angela Bloomfield) passes away in a car crash. Frank is now able to see spirits. A forgotten ’90s horror movie that isn’t mentioned much, The Frighteners effectively shows how tough it is for Frank to now have this power. This train’s existence adds a creepy factor to the movie, which can feel cheesy at times.

The Twilight Zone inspired modern science-fiction and an episode from 1959 uses the “Afterlife Express” horror trope. In “A Stop At Willoughby,” Gart Williams is going home from work just like any other person. He hears the conductor say that the train will make a stop at a place called Willoughby, which seems beautiful and quaint (it even has a gazebo). It turns out that the place doesn’t really exist as it’s a stop that allows people to travel to the afterlife.

Williams works in advertising and he seems to yearn for something more, and he’s intrigued by this place. Sometimes, when this horror trope is used, the main character doesn’t want to die and they do everything that they can to escape this specific train. In this case, Gart is interested, which is a great TV show plot twist. The afterlife is often shown as a scary place, but here, it’s wonderful. That’s still terrifying, of course, since Gart has made a bold choice that most people wouldn’t and he has been affected by the train. He assumed that this would be a regular ride home from work and instead, something very different happened.

Ryan Gosling starred on two ’90s kids horror shows, including Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Gosling played Jamie Leary in the season 5 episode, whose brother Chris (Zachary Carlin) loves thinking about all things related to death. When Chris goes to the building that houses Station 109.1, he realizes that this is a radio for souls who are being told to cross over to the afterlife. The scariest part? The elderly people who are going to this station think that Chris is a soul who needs to cross over, too.

The episode has some funny moments, as the DJ tells Chris “Maybe you’ve got eternity but I’m on a tight schedule!” The “Afterlife Express” trope works well in this episode as it’s clear that no one wants to get stuck on this train unless they’re really supposed to be there. It’s one of the scariest Are You Afraid Of The Dark? episodes because Chris ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time and there’s a genuine fear that he might not make it back home safely.

Whether some slasher tropes are necessary or others are super corny, many tropes used in the horror genre serve a smart purpose: to show that the main character has been put in an unforgettable and terrifying situation that they need to figure out how to escape from. The “Afterlife Express” trope is clever and makes the overall story feel even creepier. Spotting this trope is always entertaining and unlike some others, it always makes perfect sense.

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