World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Canada
Canada's iconic Rocky Mountaineer train in a jaw-dropping loop from Vancouver to the heart of the Rockies, via crystal clear lakes, lush coastal rainforest, and the splendour of the Fraser Canyon. Through some of North America's most staggering natural beauty, and on to Banff in Alberta. The journey also ventures through the spiral tunnels and shows how to track bears with the National Park rangers.
North Spain
Cameras capture a route through Spain, beginning near Leon, part of the famous north Spanish Pilgrimage, in the Picos de Europa mountains. The railway then runs through the Basque country before the famous Guggenheim Museum greets travellers in Bilbao. In Galicia, the gorges, coastline and sea bridges are a sight for sore eyes, and a speciality cider tour refreshes the train's guests. The journey ends in Ferrol, a spectacular harbour that has been a major shipbuilding centre for most of its history and has been a key city in many wars.
New Zealand
A stunning journey in New Zealand, through the heart of South Island's best scenery. It starts in Greymouth, renowned for its coal mining past, moving on to Arthur's Pass National Park - with its historically important Maori hunting grounds. The train passes through Cass, made famous by Kiwi artist Rita Angus and onwards to the Waimakiriri gorge and its 15 tunnels and four viaducts. Rail engineers recall how the line has been affected by earthquakes before the journey arrives in Christchurch, a city sitting on a volcano.
Wales
A trip through Wales' highest peaks and deepest valleys. Starting in Pwllheli in the north west, the route heads along the lines that were built during the slate industry's heyday. At Porthmadog, the journey briefly switches to the reconstructed steam trains of the Welsh Highland National Heritage Railway to Minffordd station. Nearby is the village of Portmeirion, famous for its role in the classic TV series The Prisoner. Rejoining the Cambrian Line, local farmers reveal what the railway means to them, before the route takes in the seaside resort of Aberdovey.
Norway
In Norway, camera follow a train journey that begins in the capital Oslo and heads all the way to Bodo inside the Arctic Circle. The first leg is the Dovre line, running from to the remote northern wonderland of Trondheim. Along the way it passes through the vast Gudbrandsdal valley and across the awe-inspiring Dovrefjell mountain plateau. The route stops at the picturesque mountain village of Dombas, before changing to the Rauma railway, which features dramatic fjords opening out along the Rauma river, dotted with some of the country's most famous landmarks.
Switzerland
Bill Nighy narrates a journey that starts at Tirano and climbs up through the Italian Alps and lakes through into Switzerland, taking in the Landwasser Viaduct. At Disentis, the train track changes to a cog railway as the gradient gets steeper, and a much bigger engine is added to climb the steep mountain route. The journey then reaches its conclusion at Zermatt, sitting at the base of the majestic Matterhorn.
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