Wilbur is an elderly retired bookseller who experiences a fatal heart incident and awakens as his 29-year-old self on a ghostly train platform. He boards the supernatural Midnight Train as an invisible observer to review his past. In his youth, he relies on a deep passion for literature to escape the severe poverty of post-war Sheffield. His early appreciation for stories eventually morphs into an intense, all-consuming drive for corporate expansion and material wealth.

Maggie is a thoughtful young woman from Sheffield who initially trains to be a teacher before deciding to attend art college. She connects with Wilbur in their youth over a mutual love of reading and a shared feeling of being out of place. She acts with deep empathy toward those around her, believing that relationships require active presence and attention to survive. She serves as a grounding force, frequently prioritizing emotional honesty over material achievements.

Dougie is Wilbur's older brother. He takes on a protective role following their father's wartime death, though he carries the heavy burden of their family's poverty. His unresolved anger results in chaotic and often reckless behavior, earning him a reputation as a local troublemaker. Despite his abrasive exterior, he demonstrates fierce loyalty to his family and secretly performs tender acts of care for his younger brother.

Agnes is the original owner of Bagdale's Bookshop in Sheffield. Following Wilbur's arrival in the afterlife, she serves as his primary guide on the Midnight Train. She enforces strict rules of observation, insisting that Wilbur must watch his past without interfering. She believes wholeheartedly that discipline is the only path to achieving peace in eternity.

Charlie is Wilbur's childhood best friend. He grows up in a tense household with an abusive father, relying heavily on Wilbur's friendship for stability. He matures into an intellectual young man with a fascination for quantum physics and fluid time. He maintains a steadfast loyalty to Wilbur, celebrating his successes while remaining grounded in human connection.

Edith is the widowed mother of Wilbur and Dougie. Her husband's death in World War II leaves her to raise two boys in an environment of severe post-war austerity. The constant strain of poverty leaves her exhausted and quick to anger, causing her to view her youngest son as an additional financial burden.

Miss Graham is Wilbur's favorite English teacher from his school days in Sheffield. She recognizes his potential early on and encourages his ambition to secure a scholarship to Oxford University. As a ghostly presence on the Midnight Train, she offers a rebellious counter-philosophy to the strict rules of the afterlife.

Mr. Parkin is the stern landlord who collects rent from the Budd family in Sheffield. He presents a demanding, unyielding figure to the young boys, routinely pressing their struggling mother for payment. His continuous presence in their lives generates significant tension and hostility within the household.

Arthur is Agnes Bagdale's son who assumes control of the family bookshop. He treats literature strictly as merchandise and shows little patience for casual browsers. Despite his grumpy demeanor, he eventually hires a teenage Wilbur after testing his ability to recommend a novel to a customer.

Alice is Wilbur's teenage girlfriend in Sheffield. She displays possessive tendencies and reacts poorly to his academic successes, questioning how he will fit into Oxford society. Her class insecurities create frequent friction during their dates, culminating in hostile behavior toward others.

Alfred is Maggie Shaw's father, working quietly as a local park keeper. He turns to gardening for comfort following the death of his wife. He is highly protective of his daughter and places great value on the daily maintenance of personal relationships, warning others that love requires active care.

Nora is a piano teacher who conducts lessons for an elderly Wilbur in Bedfordshire. She draws on her own difficult history with mental illness to provide patient, nonjudgmental guidance. She encourages Wilbur to process his long-buried emotions through music and shares philosophies on the importance of living authentically.

Doreen is a schoolmate of Wilbur's and a friend of Maggie Shaw. She relies on conventional social attitudes and frequently mocks behavior she fails to understand. She closely follows Maggie's lead during their social outings in Sheffield.

Claudette is a close friend of Maggie Shaw in Sheffield. She frequently accompanies Maggie to social events and remains a supportive fixture in Maggie's broader circle of friends as they transition into adulthood.

Joe is Nora Seed's brother. He arrives at the conclusion of Wilbur's piano lesson to pick up Nora, offering her consistent familial support alongside his partner, Ewan.

Victor is an unhoused man living near Endcliffe Park in Sheffield. He accepts spare change from a teenage Wilbur and offers him earnest advice about the importance of truly seeing and acknowledging other people, a lesson Wilbur struggles to retain in later life.

Bobby is a young boy living in post-war Sheffield. He engages in a physical street fight with a seven-year-old Dougie amidst the city's rubble before Edith Budd breaks up the altercation.

Tommy is a young man attending a Rolling Stones concert in Sheffield. He initiates a chaotic brawl when he deliberately bumps into Dougie after being rejected by Maggie, escalating an already tense situation into violence.

Edward is Maggie Shaw's boyfriend during her young adulthood. He lives in Sheffield and hosts Maggie at his home before she leaves during a severe snowstorm, an event that eventually leads to the end of their relationship.