Amazing Train Journeys

Railroad Alaska

Following an elite crew of workers-- brakemen, engineers, construction crews, mechanics and train drivers – Railroad Alaska illustrates the battle against ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the State of Alaska’s critical 500-mile long railroad rolling to deliver life sustaining supplies. From controlled avalanches to prevent catastrophe, to fascinating characters, like Jim James, the one-handed handy man, learn what it takes to keep this train on track.

All Aboard! Scotland's Poshest Train

From picturesque scenery and rich history to sumptuous spa rooms and culinary artistry, Alan Cumming revels in the Royal Scotsman's splendour on an opulent odyssey through the heart of Scotland.

Slow Train Through Africa with Griff Rhys Jones

Griff Rhys Jones explores Africa the unhurried way, as he takes to the continent’s railways to immerse himself in the joy and sometimes the frustration of travelling through a beautiful and beguiling continent, using the most romantic method of transportation. Travelling a total of 7000 miles over five journeys, he explores fascinating landscapes, encounters unforgettable wildlife and meets extraordinary people. Stunning aerial photography combines with observational travelogue to produce a fresh portrait of Africa through Griff’s experiences on and off the train. On each epic trip across five episodes, he discovers how the railway reveals a great deal about the places he travels through. Griff uses the train to get to unexpected places in deserts and forests, villages and cities, learning stories of their past and finding out how they are used today. Griff travels th

David Jason: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

In this five-part series, comedy legend Sir David Jason hits the West Coast of the USA. He’s on a revealing and entertaining journey of a lifetime by planes, trains and automobiles, discovering the machines that made America and changed the world.

Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank

Climb up on the footplate and join historian and host Dan Cruickshank for a railway adventure like no other as he investigates how trains helped shape modern Britain. This three-part series resurrects an exhilarating age and kicks off by focusing on the railways' role in defeating Hitler, before unearthing the incredible engineering achievements of Isambard Brunel and embarking on a trip on the earliest steam engines.

InterCity 125: The Train That Saved Britain's Railways

Intercity 125 – Britain's own original high-speed train – rules the rails today, but this national icon is set to give way to hi-tech imports. It's time to celebrate the heroic story of a design classic that saved Britain's railways from terminal decline.

Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

Michael Portillo examines the role of the railways in World War I and travels through Britain and Europe uncovering stories from the Great War.

On the Rails of the Double Headed Eagle

The railway age in the Austrian Empire began with the construction of the horse-drawn railway from Linz to Budweis. Plans soon followed to connect the imperial capital of Vienna with the iron and coal deposits in northern Moravia and with the port city of Trieste. In 1837 the Kaiser Ferdinands Nordbahn was opened, in 1857 the Semmeringbahn planned by Karl Ritter von Ghega, overcoming one of the most difficult obstacles on the way to the Adriatic. The crossing of the Alps by train, such as over the Arlberg or the Brenner, is still considered a unique engineering masterpiece. The expansion of the railway network brought epochal changes. Goods and people circulated on an unprecedented scale – life accelerated. It had succeeded in connecting the northern crown lands such as Silesia or Bohemia and Moravia with Carinthia, Tyrol or the coastal region.

Gulag, the Story

A major political, historical, human and economic fact of the 20th century, the Gulag, the extremely punitive Soviet concentration camp system, remains largely unknown.

Train Cruise

Criss-cross Japan by rail. Enjoy an amazing diversity of nature and scenery across the four seasons, exploring both well-known and hidden Japan.

Trains with Pete Waterman

Filmed on location across the UK, the one-time owner of the Flying Scotsman presents a four-part series examining the history of Britain's railways

Classic Trains

Griff's Great Australian Rail Trip

British comedian and travel enthusiast Griff Rhys Jones hops on some of Australia's most impressive long distance trains, travelling across the expansive outback and along spectacular coastlines.

Ian Hislop's Trains That Changed the World

How four iconic British-built trains revolutionised rail travel and inspired incredible railway projects the world over.

CHINA AT HIGH SPEED

Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Trains

The mere mention of the Orient Express brings to mind evocative images of opulent carriages, stylish passengers and thrilling destinations all wrapped up in the romance of train travel. Jonathan Phang, a self-confessed bon viveur with a passion for gastronomy, feels the allure of old world glamour and sets off on a gourmet journey crossing continents aboard some of the world’s most elegant trains. Along the way he stops off in extraordinary culinary destinations, such as Venice, Paris and Istanbul to explore some modern fine dining. However, it is aboard the fabulous trains that Jonathan truly tests the old adage that sometimes it can be better to travel than to arrive.

Rail Away

Series about striking railways in the world. Each episode travels along a number of special locations, where the train serves as a guide and there is also attention for the landscape and culture.

Full Steam Ahead

With the help of Victorian steam enthusiasts across the country, historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Peter Ginn and Alex Langlands journey back in time to the era of steam which shaped modern Britain.

Great Indian Railway Journeys

Guided by a century-old Bradshaw’s Handbook of Indian, Foreign and Colonial Travel, Michael Portillo embarks on a railway adventure across India and takes in the extraordinary variety of the Indian landscape.