Chris Tarrant: Extreme Rail Journeys

[Envoy]

http://www.channel5.com/show/chris-tarrant-extreme-railway-journeys/

Chris Tarrant continues his exploration of the worldʼs most extreme railway lines.

S4 E1
Chris traverses Morocco, heading for the Sahara.

Chris Tarrant’s ‘Extreme Railway Journeys’ is back for a new series (4) starting at 9pm on Channel 5 on 6 November 2017 with Morocco.

 

[edwin_m]

Alternatively there is Railroad Australia at the same time on Quest, which I've found considerably more interesting than its Alaskan counterpart. Both channels have +1 options so it's possible to watch them in either order.

 

[anti-pacer]

Anyone watching this?

I do like Tarrant, but despite complaining about the Moroccan weather 3 times within 15 minutes, he didn't take his coat off!

Anyway, hopefully this will be a good series.

 

[gazthomas]

He was clearly expecting to ride in dirty old trains given his fondness for pointing out that the reality was quite different!

 

[Gordon]

Excellent programme I thought. But I'm not a great fan of some of his presentation style such as 'Oh I thought this and its actually that' etc. And similar for the build up to 'I wonder if this bridge parapet and this very straight embankment are the old railway' - erm well yes, like the many similar examples in the British countryside walked on by people every weekend.

Otherwise I just loved spotting the obvious 'SNCF' clone items on ONCF, such as the 5V etc signs on passenger platforms right down to the shape and font of the seat number plaque in one of the coaches he rode in. Plus he has now done something I have done - had a cab ride in a French 'nez cassés locomotive

Oh and by the way if the Faisal bridge is the most amazing bridge he's ever seen he needs to go and see more high speed lines!

 

[Envoy]

I thought the first programme was excellent and look forward to Monday’s programme 2 = Baltic States.

I wonder how they manage to run trains in the heat of Morocco? As soon as it gets hot in Britain, we have speed restrictions.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Different pre-tensioning/expansion gaps on the rails. It's about the temperature being in an expected range, not about how hot or cold it is specifically.

 

[theageofthetra]

Different pre-tensioning/expansion gaps on the rails. It's about the temperature being in an expected range, not about how hot or cold it is specifically.

Parts of China have temps of -20 to +40c. They run ok.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Have to say, almost nothing about Chris' journey in Morocco seemed extreme. ONCF have a world-class network commuter and intercity network and are about to launch Africa's first high-speed line. Only the Train du Desert is a bit unusual, but clearly now run twice a year as a special event for tourists and enthusiasts only.

I quite enjoyed Rebecca Nicholson's newspaper review of the programme the next day

Still, what Tarrant learns in Morocco is bafflingly specific. He’s obsessed with his early discovery that the railway stations and trains in this country are clean, and brings it up with insistent regularity. He’s also quick to note when trains are late. “You may be wondering, where is this freight train? Well, so am I,” he grumbles. I was wondering why he’s filming with a coat on in 40C (104F) weather, particularly since one of his other observations is that it’s hot. He’s seemingly thrown by Arabic names, and says things like, “Chris. Nice and easy,” when he introduces himself. When a woman named Leila tells him what she’s called, he gets carried away: “Nice name!” he beams, then starts to sing Eric Clapton’s Layla, and briefly strums an air guitar.

 

[Gordon]

Have to say, almost nothing about Chris' journey in Morocco seemed extreme.

I thought exactly the same. It seems to me that the creators of this series may have started to run out of truly 'extreme' railways (at least those which it is possible to film and visit safely) to feature.
The Baltic States is next up and that isn't really 'extreme' either.

'Extreme' would be a phrase I would attach to things like a steam special I went on in Colombia in 1991, where a pump trolley ran ahead of the train with armed soldiers ready to deter any criminal activity aimed at the train.


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[edwin_m]

Parts of the Railroad Australia programme I mentioned above were significantly more extreme than Tarrant. But then I guess he has some sort of reputation to preserve (at least in his own eyes) as an "over the top" presenter.

 

[Envoy]

Interesting programme on the Baltics and the fact that a new railway at standard European gauge is to be built.
http://www.railbaltica.org/rail-baltica-route-setting-in-the-baltics/

Setting the route is one of the first significant tasks for the implementation of the future railway infrastructure. It is a complex process involving the work of spatial planning, public hearings and consultations with local municipalities in all three countries. The main aim of the process is to set the route according to the project’s global definition and in order to meet the technical parameters as well as to consider the lowest impact of the infrastructure on the communities affected and the environment. Undoubtedly, at the same time, the planning process is a great opportunity to analyse and specify the potential secondary economic benefits for the regions connected by the Rail Baltica railway.

 

[northwichcat]

I do like Tarrant, but despite complaining about the Moroccan weather 3 times within 15 minutes, he didn't take his coat off!

Maybe he was trying to protect his arms and neck from the sun?

 

[Darandio]

Parts of China have temps of -20 to +40c. They run ok.

And i'd wager they have much less emphasis on safety as well. I'd also say that other than the more modern lines that are publicised to show the speed of progress in the country, any accidents on the thousands of miles of their original network are never ever known about outside of the region, never mind another country.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Did Chris really get off the Zagreb - Beograd train at Slavonski Brod on his tour of the former Yugoslavia shown last night? The station with the multi-coloured roof panels looked remarkably like Vinkovci further down the line.



Postscript: What are the odds? I've just been to see Kenneth Brannagh's remake of "Murder on the Orient Express" where most of the action takes place between Vinkovci and Brod stations, the latter presumably Slavonski Brod. The line is shown as single track passing through a spectacular mountainous region where the train is derailed by an avalanche while crossing a rickety trestle bridge. This is taking artistic licence a little far. In reality, Vinkovci lies in flatland on the Bosut river, at an elevation of approx. 300 ft, and has a mild continental climate, while Slavonski Brod is a river port on the Sava river.