Paul Merton's Secret Stations

Great Continental Railway Journeys

September 2025 •English

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

The Railway: Keeping Britain On Track

September 2025 •English

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.

La passion des trains

September 2025 •French

Around the World by Train With Tony Robinson

September 2025 •English

Covering thousands of miles, Sir Tony Robinson takes a whirlwind journey around the globe by train.

The 800 Million Pound Railway Station

September 2025 •English

Series telling the story of the architects, engineers and spin doctors who entered a frantic two year race to make the Royal Opening of St Pancras on time.

Railway Adventures Across Australia

September 2025 •English

Railway adventures across Australia follows the exploits of Scott McGregor on his quest to find the famous, unusual and unique trains and stories at the end of the line.

The World's Most Beautiful Railway

September 2025 •English

Scotland's rail network crosses a landscape voted the best in the world. This series follows the staff and enthusiasts safeguarding these iconic routes.

Great British Railway Journeys

September 2025 •English

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.

Trains That Changed the World

September 2025 •English

This series looks at the iconic trains that have done the most to change history. Each train is an engineering marvel, each one a leap forward in the history of trains and railways. But more than this, these are the trains that made the modern world. These are the trains that unify nations and open up continents, that miraculously shrink distance and create a global economy, changing how we trade, what we buy and make and sell. They change how we live and even how we think, speeding up our lives and expanding our horizons. These are the machines that made us modern. Each episode features one iconic train and describes its impact on railway history and on history in general, combining archive and expert testimony with actuality and hands-on engineering demonstrations.

How Trains Changed the World

September 2025 •English

The invention of trains transformed everything about how humans lived. From the movement of goods and population, the design of cities, to conquest and warfare, there are few aspects of civilization that were left untouched by these machines.

Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

September 2025 •English

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

September 2025 •German

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.

Secret Britain

September 2025 •English

Exploring the hidden corners of the UK in search of the best the countryside has to offer.

Gulag, the Story

September 2025 •French

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

Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Trains

September 2025 •English

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

September 2025 •Dutch

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.

Griff's Great Australian Rail Trip

September 2025 •English

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.

David Jason: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

September 2025 •English

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.

鉄道ひとり旅～女子鉄編～

September 2025 •Japanese

A enjoyable low budget variety program about female railroad enthusiasts ("tetsu ota"). The girls who just love trains, travel around the country by themselves. Real railroad trips where nothing may happen. Watch out for the unique ways that women who love trains can enjoy trains!

Railroad Alaska

September 2025 •English

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.