Ian Hislop's Trains That Changed the World - Season 1

First aired: 8/13/2021 4 episodes

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Episodes

1. Speed

Aired: 8/13/2021

How four iconic British-built trains revolutionised rail travel and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. The Flying Scotsman was the first train to break the 100mph barrier. Travelling aboard this iconic steam locomotive, cameras reveal the engineering brilliance behind its design, and there's also a look into the new era of high-speed rail, including the opening of the Eurostar

2. Cities

Aired: 8/20/2021

The London Underground - first operating in 1863 - changed the way people get around cities forever, driving travellers deep underground to clear congested streets. Ingenious technology, from electrified tracks to tunnels under the River Thames, has gone on to influence railways worldwide. This edition reveals how the filthy and crowded streets of London were transformed by the rapid expansion of the Underground

3. Industry

Aired: 8/27/2021

The Industrial Revolution was the single most important event in the development of the modern railway and one train from that era came to symbolise the new age of steam, Stephenson's Rocket. Cameras reveal the revolutionary design of the Rocket, and how it transformed Britain's economy, from localised rural industries to the global networks we recognise today

4. Leisure

Aired: 9/3/2021

Cameras explore the Great Western Railway to experience a journey of a bygone age. The magnificent Pullman service continues to offer passengers a Silver service restaurant menu as it whisks passengers to coastal resorts that were established in the Victorian era. Queen Victoria was a driving force behind the mass appeal of rail travel that developed in the 19th century. There's a look around Victoria's royal train, which has been preserved in all its finery