Paul Simon (born 1941) is the main songwriter of the world famous musical duo "Simon and Garfunkel" whose most famous song is probably "Bridge over Troubled Water".

Railways seem to have played quite an important part in his life in one way or another, as during his early career he was a regular performer at the Railway Hotel in Brentwood, in southern England.

He did, however, travel further afield, and was a feature of the Greenwich village scene in the 1960s.  His heart was evidently in conflict, as he formed an emotional attachment to a woman named Kathy Chitty, but was also missing the UK.  In 1964 he found himself back in his home country, and waiting for the morning milk train at the station in Widnes in the North West of the country after playing a concert in Liverpool.

In this instance, the anecdote about the song's genesis seems to be true rather than apocryphal, and to this day there is a plaque on the station platform in Widnes commemorating the fact.

However, the good folk of Widnes may not be quite so happy with his reported comment that "If you'd seen Widnes, you'd know why I was keen to get back to London!"

More Info: en.wikipedia.org