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World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys(2019–2022)
October 25, 20196 Seasons · 39 Episodes
Ended
Documentary
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Overview
Bill Nighy narrates the stories of epic train journeys through stunning scenery.
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Bill Nighy narrates the stories of epic train journeys through stunning scenery.
2021
Cameras focus on New Zealand's South Island, and the great Dunedin Railway's trains - the Inlander and the Seasider. The journey begins with a trip down the Taeiri Gorge towards Otago Harbour, and the area's capital, Dunedin. Bill Nighy narrates.
Cameras focus on the island of Taiwan, and three extraordinary railways. The journey begins in the eastern port city of Hualien, from where we travel north along the rugged Pacific coast. The trek ends with a view of Taiwan's highest mountain peaks above a sea of clouds.
Cameras follow a train route from Bergen to Oslo, through the extraordinary mountains of southern Norway in winter. This super-fast train travels daily to the country's capital, and first stop is Dale - a place where Norway's most famous knitters design and craft the country's famous jumpers. The final stop is Sandvika, where Monet painted around 30 scenes.
Cameras focus on Austria's stunning Transalpine railway, which crosses the snowy peaks of the Tirol. Our journey begins in the historic city of Graz and heads west through famous alpine beauty spots, including Zell am Zee, where the sounds of yodelling still echo across pristine mountain valleys. The final stretch passes through the 10.6- kilometre Arlberg Tunnel.
2020
A trip beginning in Inverness and soon passing Culloden, the site of the last pitched battle on British soil. It then enters the Cairngorms National Park, home to some of Europe's finest landscapes as well as valleys steeped in Gaelic folklore. The park's station at Aviemore is home to the Strathspey Railway, where Victorian steam locomotives come to life. There is then a climb to the highest point on Britain's railway network before the train winds its way through Fife. Eventually the route crosses the Forth Bridge before arriving in Scottish capital Edinburgh, admired for its architecture and annual arts festival.
A 500-mile journey across South Africa in a luxury hotel train, which travels between Pretoria and Durban on the coast over the course of three days.
Beginning in the mountaintop town of Creel, the Chihuahua Pacifico Express - or El Chepe for short - winds its way through the Tarahumara Mountains, home to the reclusive Raramuri people. Divisadero, Mexico's most panoramic station, offers the first glimpse of Copper Canyon. Created by six separate yet conjoined gorges, it is four times the size of the Grand Canyon. The train continues on to the Urique Canyon, which at 6,200ft deep it is the deepest in North America. The final leg crosses the state of Sinaloa, Mexico's breadbasket, before reaching Los Mochis and the gateway to the Pacific Ocean.
The 200-mile Ligne de Cévennes, which travels northwards through the Massif Central to France's volcanic heart - Clermont Ferrand and the spectacular Puy De Dome. The route takes travellers across three incredible historic viaducts, plunges deep underground to explore the area's hidden wildlife and traverses through several impressive valleys. The route winds through one of the world's most spectacular national parks, before reaching its final destination, a collection of 80 dormant volcanoes.
New Zealand's Northern Explorer, the longest-running passenger service in the country. The train travels 423 miles along the historic North Island Main Trunk Line on a 12-hour voyage and the journey takes travellers through some of the most astonishing landscapes of the southern hemisphere from volcanoes to coast and from lava fields to unspoilt islands. Historians explain the history of the railway and tell the tale of the terrible tragedy at Tangiwai, when over 150 people were killed by a volcanic mudflow that hit the train.
A 600-mile journey through one of the most world's most northern countries - Finland - from Helsinki in the south to Kemijärvi in Finnish Lapland. The line whisks passengers through the thickest of forests, past vast frozen lakes 63 times the size of Lake Windermere and to station stops where time has stood still. As the train enters the Arctic Circle, it calls at Rovaniemi, a place destroyed by German soldiers at the end of the Second World War. Now the town has been re-built, famously in the shape of a reindeer, serving as the official home of Santa Claus.
A train journey across Sri Lanka along one of the world's best-preserved Victorian railways. The trip begins in the coastal city of Colombo and moves on to the country's cultural and spiritual heart in Kandy. The journey continues through a a very English town that produces some of the world's finest teas, coming to a stop at a hill station surrounded by tropical forests close to one of the world's most spectacular viaducts - the Nine Arch Bridge.
2019
Canada's iconic Rocky Mountaineer train loops from Vancouver to the heart of the Rockies via crystal clear lakes, lush coastal rainforest, and the splendour of the Fraser Canyon.
The Northern Spain line begins near Leon in the Picos de Europa mountains, takes in Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum and the beautiful coastline of Galicia, finally ending in the spectacular harbour of Ferrol.
The New Zealand South Island line scales the snow-capped Southern Alps, travels through Maori hunting grounds and finally reaches Christchurch, a city sitting on a volcano.
The Cambrian Line starts in Pwllheli and travels 200km to Shrewsbury, taking in the fairytale village of Portmeirion, the seaside resort of Aberdovey and the ancient capital of Wales, Machynlleth.
The Dovre line runs from Oslo to the remote northern wonderland of Trondheim, passing through the vast Gudbrandsdal valley and across the awe-inspiring Dovrefjell mountain plateau.
From Tirano in Italy, this route spirals 1000 metres up the Alps, past glaciers and through mountains, until ending at the base of the majestic Matterhorn.
2020
A trip through Devon to the tip of Cornwall, going back in time to recapture the golden age of luxury train travel. Travelling in the elegantly restored Statesman, passengers relax in its vintage carriages and enjoy the exquisite service. The first stop is on the stunning Devon coast, which suffered devastating destruction during the heavy winter storms of 2014. From Dawlish, it heads to Cornwall and across the Royal Albert Bridge, a masterpiece of railway engineering.
The West Highland Line is one of the world's truly legendary train routes, crossing spectacular Scottish moors and mountains as it heads towards Skye. Starting in Glasgow, it glides towards Loch Lomond, the world's largest inland stretch of water. It then sweeps north to enter the wild and windswept landscape of Rannoch Moor. After ascending to Corrour, Britain's highest station, the journey passes Ben Nevis, the UK's tallest mountain and then across the famous Glenfinnan viaduct. The coastal town of Mallaig is gateway to the Isle of Skye with its world-famous Highland cuisine and many breathtaking views.
A journey through Sicily that takes in seven Unesco World Heritage sites, with the first stop being a visit to a castle whose baron was inspired by Hampton Court. There's a meeting in Modica with Sicily's most famous chocolatier, a trip on the unique railway that travels around Etna, and a visit to Ragusa, a baroque-inspired city famous for its beauty and for its spiral railway that travels within a mountain.
Luxury heritage train The Northern Belle, aka steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth, travels through England's rural north west. Beginning in Preston, the passengers of its stylish 1930s Pullman carriages are soon whisked up through Cumbria and the spectacular landscapes of the Lake District. The train continues on to historic Carlisle, the site of a world-class medieval cathedral and home to supposedly England's most haunted station. It then joins the Settle to Carlisle line, considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world.
A journey through the mountains of the Italian Riviera in a restored vintage 1920s train, beginning at Cinque Terre national park, and concluding in the historic port city of Genoa. Along the way, the train stops at the elegant resort of Santa Margherita and the remote 10th-century abbey of San Fruttuoso.
A look at Bavaria's rich history of steam travel, seeing world-beating miniature railways and visiting a whole host of interesting places on a journey to the heart of the Bavarian Alps, where a beer-brewing monk and a town made famous by the Winter Olympics await. Later, a trip to Germany's highest mountain Zugspitze - which offers amazing panoramic views right across Germany and Austria.
Bill Nighy
Narrator (voice)
2021
We travel on one of the oldest steam railways in Australia, the Zig Zag Railway and on a coast-to-coast journey aboard the iconic Indian Pacific, where cameras focus on the spectacular Blue Mountains.
A magical mid-summer railway journey through central Sweden starts in Mora on the Inlandsbanan. This traditional town is in the county of Dalarna, the heart of Swedish traditional culture and often known as 'Sweden in miniature'.
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Suomensukuiset 30 päivässä
A ride is taken aboard the Northern Belle in and out of England and Wales.
In Anchorage, Alaska, cameras focus on flagship service the Denali Star, a luxury passenger train and part of the great Alaska Railroad fleet. The vehicle then heads north along the Knik Arm, and crosses this huge sea inlet to enter the vast wilderness of Alaska, America's largest and remotest state.
Exploring the Far North Line, starting from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.
Escape with us aboard the magnificent steam train Tornado as it is coupled up with 13 luxury vintage carriages on a 6 hour journey through Yorkshire, to Northumbria and the Borders.
2013
2022
Our Scottish rail journey starts in Kyle of Lochalsh, a tiny fishing village on the far west coast and takes us east across the breathtaking Highlands.
Pulled by a gleaming Siemens Charger locomotive, our double-decked coaches will take us on a 350-mile trip into the Californian dream. On our way we'll stop off in Carlsbad.
A trip through the Peak District at full steam, pulled by the Royal Scot, one of the finest locomotives ever built. On the way from Crewe to York, the train travels over Chat Moss on a line built by Robert Stephenson, which once served the famous Rocket.
The latest train excursion includes a trip to Portugal's Quinta de Vargellas, a vineyard that has been making port for centuries. Cameras also focus on the seaside city of Aveiro, and there's a trip to Lisbon to visit the home of the regional custard tart.
This week, we're celebrating Italy and following the Neapolitan Line. Travelling west from the gelato shops of the seaside town of Pescara, we cross Italy through the remote and wild Apennine Mountains down to the hustling city of Naples on the west coast. Our journey ends on-board the royal carriages preserved in the old locomotive works of Pietrarsa.
Starting from one of the world's most remote cities, Walvis Bay, in Namibia, we roll 1,500 miles through the Kalahari desert to Pretoria, South Africa's Executive Capital.
Starting in Denver, the Rocky Mountaineer makes its way through the state of Utah.
This is a scenic railway journey like few others. Leaving chic 21st century Nice behind the Train des Pigne takes us back into the Provence of the past.
The luxury Al Andalus train takes in some of the most beautiful cities in Spain.
Celebrating the wonders of Queensland, we travel over 1,000 miles (1,600 kms) from Brisbane to Cairns onboard one of the most advanced trains in the world.
