SERIES

Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

20141 Season30m episodes7.0

Documentary

TMDB7.0

Votes2

Your rating

Runtime: 30m episodes
Genre: Documentary
Origin: GB

About

Michael Portillo examines the role of the railways in World War I and travels through Britain and Europe uncovering stories from the Great War.

Where to watch

Region

Not available to stream in United States yet.

Details

Director: Tom Richardson
Writing: Tom Richardson
Status: Ended
First aired: Aug 4, 2014
Network: BBC Two
Studio: BBC

Time to finish

3 hrs

5 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

View on IMDb ↗

Cast

Michael Portillo

Self - Presenter

SERIES

Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

20141 Season30m episodes7.0

Documentary

TMDB7.0

Votes2

Your rating

Runtime: 30m episodes
Genre: Documentary
Origin: GB

About

Michael Portillo examines the role of the railways in World War I and travels through Britain and Europe uncovering stories from the Great War.

Where to watch

Region

Not available to stream in United States yet.

Episodes

0 of 0 watched

E1 · Airs Aug 4, 2014 · 30m
A Railway War Begins
Michael travels through Britain and northern Europe uncovering railway stories from the Great War. He begins his quest in the French city of Metz on European tracks built with war in mind, charts the birth of the railway war at a small station in Luxembourg and discovers how Britain's railways coped with the challenge of sending thousands of troops to join the conflict from Southampton. Finally, he returns to France to learn how the early war of movement gave way to the stalemate of the trenches.
E2 · Airs Aug 5, 2014 · 30m
Railways and Railwaymen Called to Action
Michael travels through Britain uncovering railway stories from the Great War. His journey begins in England's north east where he finds out about the brave railwaymen who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Moving south to Oxfordshire he learns how the manufacturing expertise of the railways turned a crisis into a victory. In Hampshire, Michael meets the proud son of a railwayman who, as a Royal Engineer, taught soldiers to be railwaymen and trained railwaymen to be soldiers. Finally, on the south coast he meets the big guns that turned the tide of war.
E3 · Airs Aug 6, 2014 · 30m
Keeping the War Moving
Michael travels through Britain and northern France uncovering railway stories from the Great War. He gets hands-on experience of the miniature tracks and trains that kept supplies flowing to the front line and visits North Eastern Railway Headquarters in York to find out about the Great War's forgotten railway leader. He hears the story of the Bath railway poet and pays homage at the site of Britain's deadliest train crash in Quintinshill. Finally, Michael crosses the Channel to discover how the railways fed millions of men in the trenches from a depot in Abancourt
E4 · Airs Aug 7, 2014 · 30m
On Track to Victory
Michael travels through Britain and Belgium uncovering railway stories from the Great War. At Bristol's Temple Meads station he hears a first-hand account from the front line, then in Yorkshire discovers how women took over railwaymen's roles and began literally to wear the trousers. He finds out about the extraordinary exploits of Belgian trainspotters who spied on enemy rail movements and hears how the end of the war also marked the decline of the railways.
E5 · Airs Aug 8, 2014 · 30m
Railways and Remembrance
Michael travels through Britain and northern France uncovering railway stories from the Great War. In this final episode, Michael explores the aftermath of this earth-shattering conflict. For four years, the railways had fed the front line with vast numbers of men, munitions and supplies. But even after the Armistice had been signed in a railway carriage, the work of the railways was not done. As Britain continued to mourn its dead, the railways played an important part in their remembrance. Michael hears stories of railway war heroes and encounters a remarkable railway wagon used to honour them. He hears how the railways helped give birth to battlefield tourism and in the cemeteries of Ypres he meets the great grandchildren of some of the fallen.

Details

Director: Tom Richardson
Writing: Tom Richardson
Status: Ended
First aired: Aug 4, 2014
Network: BBC Two
Studio: BBC

Time to finish

3 hrs

5 episodes. About 1 week at an hour a night.

View on IMDb ↗

Cast

Michael Portillo

Self - Presenter

Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

About

Where to watch

Details

Time to finish

Cast

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Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo

About

Where to watch

Episodes

Details

Time to finish

Cast

If you like this

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Episodes