Synopsis
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.
Episodes
Season 11
Power and Empire: The Great ArteriesOne of the great advances of the 19th Century, the railways were a tool of empire. How did the Victorians use them to expand their influence?2
The Great Workhorses: Trains That Move LoadsFrom the Channel Tunnel to carrying iron ore in the Australian Outback, experts discuss the history and the future of freight trains.3
Express Trains That Link CitiesIntended as an efficient, economical way of moving freight, the emergence of express trains revolutionised society with the demand for fast travel.4
The Commute: Trains That Make CitiesThe world's 10 busiest metro systems carry more than 22 billion passengers every year. How has the train shaped cities - and changed the world?5
Trains and War: Weapons and LogisticsAs weapons and transport, trains transformed the battlefield - from huge railway guns and hospital trains to those taking victims to death camps.6
The Love of Trains: Power, Prestige and RomanceTrains have changed the way people see the world - and each other. What is it that makes them so special?
Power and Empire: The Great ArteriesOne of the great advances of the 19th Century, the railways were a tool of empire. How did the Victorians use them to expand their influence?2The Great Workhorses: Trains That Move LoadsFrom the Channel Tunnel to carrying iron ore in the Australian Outback, experts discuss the history and the future of freight trains.3Express Trains That Link CitiesIntended as an efficient, economical way of moving freight, the emergence of express trains revolutionised society with the demand for fast travel.4The Commute: Trains That Make CitiesThe world's 10 busiest metro systems carry more than 22 billion passengers every year. How has the train shaped cities - and changed the world?5Trains and War: Weapons and LogisticsAs weapons and transport, trains transformed the battlefield - from huge railway guns and hospital trains to those taking victims to death camps.6The Love of Trains: Power, Prestige and RomanceTrains have changed the way people see the world - and each other. What is it that makes them so special?Cast
