Rail Away

Michael Portillo explores Canada, armed with his Appleton's Guidebook.

Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide.

Documentary series revealing the inner workings of Britain's railways, introducing the track-workers, train guards, drivers, police officers and management teams determined to keep the country moving.

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Professor Alice Roberts takes a train ride that covers 600 years of the Ottoman Empire. Her mission is to learn about this vast empire that started with a dream in the 14th century.

David Choe hitchhikes his way across these United States by (other people's) trains, cars, and boats.

In this series, Griff Rhys Jones embarks on a leisurely journey across Africa, utilizing the continent's railways as a means to truly experience its beauty and charm. Spanning 7,000 miles over five separate journeys, Griff explores diverse landscapes, encounters remarkable wildlife, and meets intriguing individuals. Through a combination of breathtaking aerial footage and insightful travelogue, Griff shares his unique perspective on Africa, gained from his experiences on and off the train. As he traverses the continent in five episodes, Griff discovers how the railway network offers a window into the history, culture, and daily life of the places he visits. By train, he ventures into remote deserts, forests, villages, and cities, uncovering their stories and learning about their modern-day significance.

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

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.

Des trains pas comme les autres

The Mexico City Metropolitan Train has many stories to tell: from archaeological findings during its construction, its underground museums and hospitals, and even its patents and special maintenance services. These are some of their stories.

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.

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.

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

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

The TikTok sensation, Francis Bourgeois, will give audiences and his guests a glimpse into the art of wild transpotting.

Chris Barrie's Massive Speed follows on from the series Massive Engines and Massive Machines , both of which were also presented by petrolhead Chris (of Red Dwarf fame). In Massive Speed Chris turns his attention to the evolution of machines designed purely to achieve maximum speed. He travels the world searching for the most thrilling, speed-packed machines he can find and introduces audiences to huge engined bikes, planes, trucks and boats that battle it out in power races. Whether it's crossing an otherwise impenetrable snow drift, desert or swamp at the speed of an Olympic sprinter or cutting through the atmosphere at six times the speed of sound, Chris tells the stories of the greatest achievements of speed design and engineering. In each episode Chris follows the evolution of a specific genre of machine by testing them and reveals both the classsic stories and secret histories that surround each of them.

Michael Portillo is in Southeast Asia, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Handbook. It will lead him on a spectacular 2,500-mile railway adventure across six countries. He explores towering megacities and magnificent mosques.

Discover what it takes to transport ever-growing numbers of passengers and crucial resources across Australia. With unprecedented access we go behind the scenes to meet the train drivers, locomotive servicing crews and track maintenance teams on some of the toughest and most spectacular journeys.

A voyage of discovery as we follow the most astounding freight trains in the world, carrying extraordinary loads on a daily basis. From the deserts of Mauritania to the the freezing mountains of Canada we reveal the daily lives of the train crews as they battle to bring their loads in on time.