• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Channel 5 Worlds Most Scenic Railways

Status
Not open for further replies.

nr758123

Member
Joined
3 Jun 2014
Messages
478
Location
West Yorkshire
I have just watched that, it was excellent, it was interesting to note that the areas around Auckland and Wellington, plus parts in the centre seemed to have overhead electric wiring and other parts did not.

I thought it quite impressive that such a lightly used line had been electrified. Right on cue, the narrator said that the line carried 110 trains per week. That’s slightly fewer than Plymouth to Gunnislake.

Contrast that with England, where our useless incompetent government has spent nearly 9 years failing to decide whether it’s worth bothering electrifying a route between two insignificant places called Manchester and Leeds and which carries something like 15 times as many trains.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Mcr Warrior

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Jan 2009
Messages
11,648
This week's episode of "The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys" (Channel 5, Friday 19th June 2020, 8.00 p.m.) is a decidedly slow journey across Sri Lanka from Colombo to Kandy, a trip which is described as being along one of the world's best preserved Victorian railways.

This is series 2 episode 7.
 

STEVIEBOY1

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
4,003
This week's episode of "The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys" (Channel 5, Friday 19th June 2020, 8.00 p.m.) is a decidedly slow journey across Sri Lanka from Colombo to Kandy, a trip which is described as being along one of the world's best preserved Victorian railways.

This is series 2 episode 7.

Yes, I plan to watch that. For a little while, I worked for a tour operator which specialised in Sri Lanka and we often booked the trains there, especially from Kandy into the Hill and Tea Country towards a place called Ella.

As mentioned in above posts, they seem to be moving around with that TV Series, as the following week it is about mountain railways and mentions North Wales.
 

Mcr Warrior

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Jan 2009
Messages
11,648
Yes, I plan to watch that. For a little while, I worked for a tour operator which specialised in Sri Lanka and we often booked the trains there, especially from Kandy into the Hill and Tea Country towards a place called Ella.
Ella is featured, you'll be pleased to hear. Described as "a little station high in the hills". Every morning the platforms at Ella are temporarily closed apparently so that every inch can be swept, washed and polished! :D
 

STEVIEBOY1

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
4,003
Ella is featured, you'll be pleased to hear. Described as "a little station high in the hills". Every morning the platforms at Ella are temporarily closed apparently so that every inch can be swept, washed and polished! :D
Thank you. (You mean that does not happen here:lol::rolleyes:)
 

Mcr Warrior

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Jan 2009
Messages
11,648
This week's episode of "The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys" (Channel 5, Friday 19th June 2020, 8.00 p.m.) is a decidedly slow journey across Sri Lanka from Colombo to Kandy, a trip which is described as being along one of the world's best preserved Victorian railways.

This is series 2 episode 7.
This episode is repeated on Channel 5 on Monday 22nd June 2020 at 7.00 p.m.
 

S&CLER

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2020
Messages
785
Location
southport
The Sri Lankan episode was fascinating and brought back memories of my trip there the year before the Indian Ocean tsunami. I did part of the main line to Kandy, where I admired the Edmondson ticket machines, and was kindly presented with a national timetable, valid from April 2001, by the then stationmaster Mr Sanath Wijesekara, who signed my copy. I also had dinner in the hotel the TV showed at Nuwara Eliya (where the internal decor reminded me and an Irish couple in our party of the Great Southern hotel at Sligo!)

I also recommend the coastal route from Galle to Colombo, a fabulous line often within yards of the beach. All trains in Sri Lanka were packed all the time, in my experience, but returning from Colombo to Galle I had the bright idea of going out to join the train where it started, at the suburban station of Maradana, 1.89 km out of the Fort station; the extra cost was only pennies, but it got me a seat all the way back to Galle. I had stood in the doorway for most of the outward journey. I was fascinated to see how the fruit and snack vendor forced his way through the crowd of standing passengers balancing a basket on his head. Who needs trolleys?
 
Last edited:

STEVIEBOY1

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
4,003
The Sri Lankan episode was fascinating and brought back memories of my trip there the year before the Indian Ocean tsunami. I did part of the main line to Kandy, where I admired the Edmondson ticket machines, and was kindly presented with a national timetable, valid from April 2001, by the then stationmaster Mr Sanath Wijesekara, who signed my copy. I also had dinner in the hotel the TV showed at Nuwara Eliya (where the internal decor reminded me and an Irish couple in our party of the Great Southern hotel at Sligo!)

I also recommend the coastal route from Galle to Colombo, a fabulous line often within yards of the beach. All trains in Sri Lanka were packed all the time, in my experience, but returning from Colombo to Galle I had the bright idea of going out to join the train where it started, at the suburban station of Maradana, 1.89 km out of the Fort station; the extra cost was only pennies, but it got me a seat all the way back to Galle. I had stood in the doorway for most of the outward journey. I was fascinated to see how the fruit and snack vendor forced his way through the crowd of standing passengers balancing a basket on his head. Who needs trolleys?
Sounds great, I shall look forward to watching in the next couple of days.
 

LNW-GW Joint

Veteran Member
Joined
22 Feb 2011
Messages
19,555
Location
Mold, Clwyd
I thought it quite impressive that such a lightly used line had been electrified. Right on cue, the narrator said that the line carried 110 trains per week. That’s slightly fewer than Plymouth to Gunnislake.

Contrast that with England, where our useless incompetent government has spent nearly 9 years failing to decide whether it’s worth bothering electrifying a route between two insignificant places called Manchester and Leeds and which carries something like 15 times as many trains.

The electrification scene in NZ is not as rosy as you might think.
Both Auckland (25kV AC) and Wellington (1.5kV DC) have local suburban electric networks which are busy and expanding (especially in Auckland), but don't get far out of the city regions.
The North Island Main Trunk (Auckland-Wellington) is mountainous in the middle and NZR decided to electrify the central 411km section for freight from Hamilton to Palmerston North (at 25kV AC) in 1988, and they use UK-built Brush electric locos on it.
But the wiring was not extended to either Auckland (87km gap) or Wellington (80km gap), so diesels had to be used on those section with multiple loco changes.
Recently, with the wiring and electric locos coming up for renewal, KiwiRail proposed to de-electrify the mountain section and use diesels throughout.
However, I see the NZ government have decided to fund refurbishment of the electric locos so they will continue with a dual system for now.
The NIMT is predominantly a single track freight railway of low capacity compared to our electric lines.
Its main job is to move shipping containers around the country from their port of arrival.
 
Last edited:

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
After last week's episode in Sri Lanka (episode 7 of 10), this week, in the same time slot, we have Great Mountain Railway Journeys, episode 4 of 6! Presumably episodes 1 to 3 have been and gone, but what's happened to the remainder of the Scenic Railways series? Channel 5 is up to its tricks again.
 

robvulpes

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2007
Messages
148
After last week's episode in Sri Lanka (episode 7 of 10), this week, in the same time slot, we have Great Mountain Railway Journeys, episode 4 of 6! Presumably episodes 1 to 3 have been and gone, but what's happened to the remainder of the Scenic Railways series? Channel 5 is up to its tricks again.

..... and next week (Fri 3 July) we have "Great Luxury Railway Journeys" - according to Radio Times "Train trips across Canada, Scandinavia, Europe and New Zealand, meeting the characters who travel, work and live along the lines. Bill Nighy narrates."

Sounds suspiciously like a compilation of excerpts from the previous programmes! Yet more C5 tricks!
 

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
..... and next week (Fri 3 July) we have "Great Luxury Railway Journeys" - according to Radio Times "Train trips across Canada, Scandinavia, Europe and New Zealand, meeting the characters who travel, work and live along the lines. Bill Nighy narrates."

Sounds suspiciously like a compilation of excerpts from the previous programmes! Yet more C5 tricks!
Yes, some of tonight's programme repeated previous footage in Mexico and South Africa but the rest was new (to me, anyway).
 

DelW

Established Member
Joined
15 Jan 2015
Messages
3,834
Yes, some of tonight's programme repeated previous footage in Mexico and South Africa but the rest was new (to me, anyway).
I think the Glacier Express and Rocky Mountaineer footage came from programmes broadcast within the last year. The El Chepe excerpt, and maybe also the Rovos Rail, were shown just a few weeks ago in this series.
They also used the Scenic Railway Journeys graphic before and after each ad break, despite the listing calling it Great Mountain Railway Journeys.
 

STEVIEBOY1

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
4,003
I think the Glacier Express and Rocky Mountaineer footage came from programmes broadcast within the last year. The El Chepe excerpt, and maybe also the Rovos Rail, were shown just a few weeks ago in this series.
They also used the Scenic Railway Journeys graphic before and after each ad break, despite the listing calling it Great Mountain Railway Journeys.
I was a bit confused the Glacier Express part of that programme, they mentioned the Abulla Tunnel and that a 2nd tunnel was being built close to the existing tunnel, then it seemed to show a train coming straight out of the Abulla Tunnel onto the Landwasser viaduct. Would that infact be correct and if so, would the trains using the new Tunnel no longer go over the Landwasser viaduct. (I was not sure if they were in the same location and that close together) Are these structures on the Glacier Express route or the Bernina Route infact?
 

robvulpes

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2007
Messages
148
I was a bit confused the Glacier Express part of that programme, they mentioned the Abulla Tunnel and that a 2nd tunnel was being built close to the existing tunnel, then it seemed to show a train coming straight out of the Abulla Tunnel onto the Landwasser viaduct. Would that infact be correct and if so, would the trains using the new Tunnel no longer go over the Landwasser viaduct. (I was not sure if they were in the same location and that close together) Are these structures on the Glacier Express route or the Bernina Route infact?
The nearest end of the Albula Tunnel is about 12km as the crow flies from the Landwasser Viaduct (a lot further measured along the railway because of all the curvature, including the spirals between Preda and Bergun en route). The new Albula tunnel simply closely parallels the old one and won't miss out anything currently visible. The tunnel immediately at one end of the Landwasser Viaduct is the Landwasser Tunnel. They are on the Glacier express route, not the Bernina.
 

STEVIEBOY1

Established Member
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
4,003
The nearest end of the Albula Tunnel is about 12km as the crow flies from the Landwasser Viaduct (a lot further measured along the railway because of all the curvature, including the spirals between Preda and Bergun en route). The new Albula tunnel simply closely parallels the old one and won't miss out anything currently visible. The tunnel immediately at one end of the Landwasser Viaduct is the Landwasser Tunnel. They are on the Glacier express route, not the Bernina.
OK, thank you.
 

Baxenden Bank

Established Member
Joined
23 Oct 2013
Messages
4,002
From the My5 website:

World's Most Scenic Railways
1.1​
CanadaCanada's iconic Rocky Mountaineer train loops from Vancouver to the heart of the Rockies via crystal clear lakes, lush coastal rainforest, and the splendour of the Fraser Canyon.
1.2​
North SpainFabulous architecture, a beautiful coast and special ciders.
1.3​
New Zealand - Greymouth to ChristchurchSnowy Alps, Maori hunting grounds and a city on a volcano.
1.4​
WalesThe Cambrian Line starts in Pwllheli and travels 200km.
1.5​
NorwayThe Dovre line runs from Oslo to the wonderland of Trondheim.
1.6​
SwitzerlandThis route spirals 1000 metres up the Alps to the Matterhorn.
2.1​
ScotlandA trip on the stunning route from Inverness to Edinburgh.
2.2​
South AfricaA luxury trip across South Africa from Pretoria to Durban.
2.3​
MexicoThe El Chepe follows miles of spectacular scenery.
2.4​
France - La Ligne de CevenneA 200-mile rail journey through hidden France.
2.5​
New Zealand - Northern ExplorerA trip on New Zealand's famous Northern Explorer.
2.6​
Finland: Helsinki to Kemijarvi (Lapland)A journey from Helsinki to Kemijärvi in Lapland.
2.7​
Sri Lanka: Colombo to KandyThe train crosses the spectacular Nine Arch Bridge.
Around the world by train with Tony Robinson
2.1​
EuropeAfter setting off from St Pancras, Tony saddles up with Europe's last cowboys in France. Suckling pig is on the menu in Madrid, before a drop of port in Portugal.
2.2​
South AmericaTony explores Argentina and Peru.
2.3​
MexicoOn board El Chepe, Tony winds along the Copper Canyon.
2.4​
CanadaTony finds out what makes Canadians tick.
2.5​
RussiaIn Vladivostock, Tony hops on the Trans-Siberian Express.
2.6​
ScandanaviaTony visits the beautiful fjords of Norway.

All available on the player, for some time.

Also available, a mish-mash of Chris Tarrant Extreme Railways episodes
 

Baxenden Bank

Established Member
Joined
23 Oct 2013
Messages
4,002
I've watched a couple of episodes from each this week (World's Most Scenic / Around The World).

Worlds Most Scenic Railways wins by several lengths. Bill Nighy is simply a narrator and the screen is filled with scenery and trains. Around The World By Train has a screen full of Tony Robinon, sorry, SIR Tony Robinson and the scenery / train plays second fiddle. Tarrant and Portillo have the same problem on their respective series'.
 

Mcr Warrior

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Jan 2009
Messages
11,648
Sorry, but I find Bill Nighy's narration to be soporific. Much prefer someone like Tim Dunn or Rob Bell where you can discern genuine enthusiasm in their voice.
 

Baxenden Bank

Established Member
Joined
23 Oct 2013
Messages
4,002
Sorry, but I find Bill Nighy's narration to be soporific. Much prefer someone like Tim Dunn or Rob Bell where you can discern genuine enthusiasm in their voice.
Can't say I noticed, but I would have noticed had Bill Nighy got the current fashion for 'upbeat speaking' ie over-excited / melodramatic as per Sir Tony and Chris Tarrant. I like it toned down.

I watched the South America episode of Around The World and Sir Tony's gushing about the luxury of The Andean Explorer was just too much. It's clearly very nice (and expensive) but the pictures told me that. Not as bad as the massive over-dramatisation of TV programmes produced for an american audience though eg Railroad Alaska. An interesting topic for a programme but is the weekly freight train really bearing down without warning on the track repair crew? I'm sure I can see radio signalling being used in the loco cab (with three engineers on board), and the repair crew radioing through that the line is clear!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top