Advantages of Travelling by Train

A young literary editor whose immersion in the red file's stories triggers a spiral of romance, abuse, and obsession with publishing the collected tales. Her relationship with Emilio evolves into a coercive dynamic, and her fascination with the red file ultimately drives her actions through the psychiatric clinic setting and beyond. Her arc links personal trauma to the metafictional structure of the narrative.

A psychiatrist investigating Martín's supposed history and narrating parts of the red file. He reveals the complexity of Martín's tale, suggesting the line between truth and fabrication may be blurred. He steps off the train at one point to buy provisions, leaving Helga and the mystery to continue on their own.

A paranoid figure whose life is constructed around a supposed Kosovo fighter past, memory of a lost arm, and a fixation on garbage collectors. In truth, he is a Murcia-based former garbage man who distrusts those around him, leading to a web of misremembered identity.

Martín's sister who provides the account of Martín's life. She uncovers family dynamics and memories that shape how the story unfolds, serving as a crucial conduit to the truth behind Martín's claimed past.

The woman in the Paris romance with Gárate, described as having one leg shorter than the other. Her relationship with Gárate embodies the story's themes of flawed desire and distorted perception.

A man born with severe skeletal flaws and deluded expectations about life and relationships. His romance with Rosa highlights the gap between aspiration and reality, contributing to the narrative's exploration of flawed self-image.

A character connected to the dark, illicit subplot described in the stories (involving abuse and exploitation). His role anchors the more disturbing elements that the red file exposes within the metafictional framework.

A stand owner who enters a romantic relationship with Helga. His character experiences coercive power dynamics influenced by Helga's descent, culminating in a state of near-catatonia driven by the story's drug intervention.

A doctor working in a children's hospital who appears in the stories as part of the network of characters. Her presence ties the medical and ethical dimensions of the plot to the darker undercurrents of the red file.