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00:05I'm Si King, and I've always loved transport, especially bikes and trains.
00:12Here in Britain, we have every reason to be proud.
00:16This is where the railway was born, 200 incredible years ago.
00:23Change the points. 26 plus, it's all happening here.
00:27But for too long, the real stars of that story, our railway stations, have been overlooked.
00:34I'm never going to look at a train station the same way again.
00:36It's where adventures start and end, where lives change, and where extraordinary human stories unfold.
00:45The camaraderie you have with the passengers, I love that.
00:49I'm joined by architect Damien Burrows and transport historian Siddy Holloway.
00:55Together, we'll uncover their hidden history.
00:58Oh, wow. This is a sight you don't see very often.
01:03Stunning architecture.
01:05What an explosion of light and engineering.
01:10And meet the people who keep them alive.
01:13Volunteers, families who have worked the rails for generations, and their communities.
01:18I haven't been to many train stations where I've ended up harvesting fresh veg.
01:24From glorious coastlines to soaring peaks, it's a journey full of surprises.
01:30Now, that's a pretty majestic view from a railway station.
01:33So join me to celebrate Britain's favourite railway stations.
01:45This week, we're visiting railway stations that have shaped the British seaside.
01:50Our stunning coastlines, and everything that comes with it.
01:55We're even hopping across the Irish Sea to discover one of the most spectacular coastal stations in Northern Ireland.
02:02From beach huts to sunny promenades, day-trippers to locals enjoying the coast,
02:08there is nothing better than getting off a train in a station that screams,
02:12welcome to the seaside.
02:14This is quintessentially a coastal line.
02:17Look at this sea.
02:19It's fabulous.
02:22While I'm off towards the Norfolk coast, City is visiting Wales to learn a bit more about the railway's involvement
02:30at the iconic Barrie Island.
02:32I wanted to ask you about Barrie Island as a tourist attraction.
02:36150,000 people was the sort of order of the day,
02:39so it was an incredible feat to get all those people in to the station.
02:46And Damien is travelling south to East Sussex,
02:49one of the most popular railway stations by the seaside, south of London,
02:54to discover its secrets, nukes and crannies.
02:58And right on top of all of this incredibly dense engineering,
03:04you've just got the delicate timber of the platform.
03:06Yeah.
03:10Travelling to the east of England, I'm visiting the stunning county of Norfolk.
03:15Known for its man-made broads, a unique landscape dating back centuries,
03:20was created by digging peat.
03:22Clearing the woodland left over 125 miles of luck-free waterways
03:27set in beautiful countryside,
03:30with many charming and picturesque towns and villages along the stunning coastline.
03:36You know, part of the reason that I still live in the northeast
03:39is because I love being by the sea and water.
03:42And today I'm quite excited because I'm on the Greater Anglia-Biton Line.
03:49Now that line crosses the Norfolk Broads National Park,
03:54and I'm on my way to the thriving coastal town of Sherringham.
04:00Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a popular holiday destination,
04:06with stunning beaches,
04:08Sherringham owes its success to its railway industry.
04:12At first, a real stronghold of the fishing industry during the 19th and early 20th century,
04:18the arrival of the railway in 1887 reshaped the town into something more.
04:24But this adventure isn't about the trains.
04:27It's about the stations.
04:29Luckily for me, I'm not seeing one,
04:31but I'm seeing multiple railway stations today.
04:35Sherringham is the northern terminus of the Bitton Line,
04:39but it's also home to the North Norfolk Railway.
04:44We're here.
04:49Meeting me at my first stop is Jonathan,
04:52who's been looking after the Bitton Line for decades
04:54and knows exactly why there are two stations.
05:00Now that must be a man waiting at a gate.
05:02Jonathan.
05:03Absolutely.
05:03Hello, sir.
05:04Good morning.
05:04Nice to meet you.
05:05Nice to see you.
05:06How are you this morning?
05:06Very well, thank you.
05:08Tell us a little bit about the importance of the lane
05:10to the area and the community here.
05:12It's really crucial.
05:14So back in the 1960s, time of the Beeching Report,
05:17a lot of cuts here in Norfolk.
05:19Basically, it was seen as, you know, rail was declining
05:22and that wasn't the future.
05:24Back in the 1960s, a chap called Dr Richard Beeching
05:28swung the axe on Britain's railways,
05:30hoping to increase profitability.
05:32His government report shut down thousands of railway stations,
05:36all in the name of saving money.
05:38Trouble is, it left whole communities cut off
05:41and folks are still reeling from the effects today.
05:45The original Sherringham station was closed in 1967,
05:49but in the same year,
05:50this modern unmanned platform was built to serve the town instead.
05:55Fortunately, the future of the old station was not lost.
05:59Wonderfully, a whole group of volunteers set up the North Norfolk Railway
06:02and over the years redeveloped it, reopened it,
06:05obviously kept the lovely heritage station buildings along the route.
06:08So you have what, in essence, is a very modern railway,
06:12which is where we are now.
06:13State-of-the-art, fantastic trains.
06:16And then, conversely, you have the nostalgia of rail travel
06:21just over the road there.
06:23Absolutely.
06:23And you've got the best of both worlds.
06:26Thank you, and it's been an absolute pleasure.
06:28Thanks.
06:34Now, just a short walk up the tracks
06:37from the brand-new, modern railway station of Sherringham
06:44is the original railway station of Sherringham.
06:49Look at it.
06:50Full of nostalgia and a bygone area of rail.
06:54This is going to be a bit special, I think.
06:57Leaving the modern railway behind,
06:59this station in Sherringham is home to the North Norfolk Railway Line,
07:03a heritage railway also known as the Poppy Line,
07:07thanks to the area's 19th-century nickname, Poppyland.
07:11And it's this charming station which has become a must-visit stop
07:15for all those enjoying the coastal town.
07:20Oh, wow.
07:23Oh, look.
07:24Oh, this is fantastic.
07:27You know, as soon as you walk onto the platform,
07:29you get this sense of nostalgia.
07:31It's wonderful.
07:32Look at the bridge.
07:35God, there's been some work in restoring this, man.
07:37This is amazing.
07:40It feels like a proper coastal station
07:43where people used to come on the holidays, you know.
07:46Oh, look.
07:47And it's definitely Victorian.
07:48Look at the ornate metalwork and the beautiful canopy.
07:52Oh, it's great.
07:55There's a real sense of, like, oh, this is, you know, you've arrived.
08:00Oh, yeah.
08:00It's going to be great.
08:04But before anything else, a cuppa is in order.
08:08This is nice, isn't it?
08:10Hello.
08:11Hello there, sir.
08:11How can I help you?
08:12Could I have a cup of tea?
08:14Of course.
08:22Thanks so much.
08:24You're welcome.
08:25Next up, more about this incredible railway station.
08:31And if there's one person that can give me the lowdown,
08:35it's manager Graeme Hookins,
08:37who's been grafting really hard for the last few years
08:41to make sure that this incredible piece of British railway history
08:45keeps on thriving.
08:47Tea, Graeme.
08:48Indeed.
08:51Graeme, when was the station built and what was its original purpose?
08:56So, the line to Sheringham opened in 1887
08:59and originally the line was built to bring tourists to this area.
09:04So, in the late 19th century,
09:06Clement Scott kind of coined the term poppy land
09:09for this area of the North Norfolk coast.
09:11Ah, OK.
09:12And he wrote for the Telegraph
09:13and that made the whole area really popular with tourists.
09:18So, years later, we're still doing very much the same thing,
09:22running trains to entertain tourists.
09:24So, fundamentally, the railway really did shape Sheringham then.
09:29Absolutely.
09:30So, all of the Sheringham that you see today
09:33grew up in Victorian times.
09:35Until the railway arrived, it was a tiny fishing village
09:38and when the railway arrived,
09:40the Midland and Great Northern actually invested in the hotels
09:44and in the infrastructure and the water supply for the town
09:47because bringing holidaymakers in was that lucrative
09:51that it actually filled their trains.
09:53What was the shift in fortune for the railway?
09:57It was really the shift towards kind of road transport
10:01that was a lot more competitive from the 1950s, 1960s onwards.
10:06And it was just empty and...
10:08So, most of the Midland and Great Northern closed in 1959.
10:12This particular bit survived until 1964.
10:16But, thankfully, this station didn't close for long.
10:19A group of locals came together and, by 1975,
10:23the railway and its stations were reopened as a heritage line.
10:28It takes a huge amount of organisation and a huge amount of volunteers
10:31to actually run the station and the railway.
10:34How do you manage that?
10:35So, they're from all walks of life.
10:37We've got over 600 volunteers and their motivations will be kind of many and varied.
10:42So, some will have been involved for 50 or more years since the line closed
10:47and helped reopening it way back in 1975.
10:49And we've got volunteers from 10 to 90 plus.
10:54So, the whole spectrum of ages and all absolutely keen as mustard.
10:59It comes across in waves, you know, and really welcoming.
11:02You know, and the tea looks great because railways are built on tea.
11:06Railways run on tea, absolutely.
11:10It's truly inspiring to learn about the station and the volunteers' dedication.
11:15And you never know, I may even get my hands dirty.
11:19It's all happening here.
11:30Today, we're exploring Britain's wonderful coastal stations.
11:35From windswept platforms to bustling tourist stops.
11:38It's amazing what you can find when you follow the tracks to the coast.
11:43While I'm keeping busy in sunny Sheringham,
11:46Sidi is in the iconic coastal town of Barrie Island.
11:54From its industrial beginnings as the world's busiest coal port
11:59to its heyday as a working seaside resort,
12:03Barrie Island's past lives are all hidden away.
12:06But I'm here to seek them out.
12:10Barrie Island Station opened in 1896
12:14to serve the thriving seaside resort in the bustling Docklands,
12:18though the station building itself wasn't finished until 1904.
12:22Not just with style, but with the space to handle vast holiday crowds.
12:29Today, I'm meeting John, who's looking after the station's War and Heritage Centre,
12:34which is in the station building, to learn how the railway shapes the town.
12:39John!
12:40Hi!
12:41Thank you so much for having me here.
12:43Yes.
12:43This is an extraordinary museum you've got here.
12:47So, can you tell me how the railways and how Barrie Island
12:51became the biggest coal port in the world?
12:54The Marquess of Butte owned Cardiff Docks
12:57and the coal field in South Wales expanded in an exponential rate in the 1800s
13:04so that by the 1870s, 1880s, it was completely overwhelmed
13:10and therefore there were trains coming down the valleys full of coal
13:15and if they managed to get to the docks,
13:18they might have to wait one, two or three days before they got unloaded.
13:22Oh, right.
13:22And so the coal owners basically gave an ultimatum,
13:27either expand your dock or we'll build one ourselves.
13:32The coal owners did just that
13:34and by 1913, Barrie Island became the biggest coal exporting dock in the world,
13:40transporting 11 million tonnes through and around the station.
13:47The concrete pillars left today once supported giant hoists used for lifting coal onto ships
13:53and are a reminder of the epic scale that was once a momentous industry.
13:59So these are the hoists.
14:01Yes.
14:02Towards each of the hoists, a boat could come.
14:05So how many hoists did they have?
14:07There were over 20 when the dock was working at full capacity.
14:13These hoists were fed with wagons by a locomotive pushing the train up a hill
14:20and each wagon was detached and lifted in the hoist and tipped directly into the ship.
14:26So you can just imagine that port, how busy it would have been if you had 20 ships,
14:32over 20 ships at each one of them, tipping over tonnes of coal.
14:36Yes.
14:37It must have been an amazing sight in its heyday.
14:42Coal exports declined between the wars and so too did the dock railway,
14:47but a new use was found for it in the 1950s.
14:51There were lots of sidings which had become redundant
14:54and a local entrepreneur, Dye Woodham, saw the opportunity
14:59to actually scrap the steam locomotives that British Railways were making redundant
15:06in the 1950s and 60s on those sidings
15:10and brought about 350 locomotives to Barry.
15:15Steam locomotives.
15:16Steam locomotives, yes.
15:17But a couple of diesels as well, actually.
15:19So preservationists were then coming along and saying,
15:22we'd like to buy a locomotive and restore it.
15:25Well, because they're incredibly complex machines
15:28and they're difficult to scrap, actually.
15:30That's right.
15:31Over 150 have been restored and steamed
15:34and that's why in the UK we've got the biggest preserved railway lines
15:38in the whole of the world.
15:39Yeah.
15:41The station not only has an incredible museum inside,
15:45but in the old train yard,
15:46John and his team have saved many locomotives and wagons,
15:50including his pride and joy.
15:53Oh, wow.
15:56Yeah, so this is our diesel locomotive shunter
15:59and behind it we have our 1928 Great Western locomotive.
16:04Look at that!
16:05Wow!
16:08Oh, she's a beauty.
16:10Yeah, she's not far off being finished now.
16:13That's incredible.
16:16This is a site you don't see very often, is it?
16:19I don't need it.
16:20So, what can you tell me about this locomotive?
16:22Well, it was built in 1928, the Great Western Railway,
16:25and it's a locomotive which has an affinity to this part of the world.
16:29There are lots of these in South Wales.
16:31I wanted to ask you about Barrie Island as a tourist attraction.
16:35Well, the railway made Barrie Island a tourist attraction
16:38because before it was very inaccessible being an island.
16:42Barrie became a busy tourist destination
16:45with a lovely old vintage fairground.
16:50After the Second World War
16:51and the introduction of paid two-week holidays,
16:56more and more trains came to Barrie
16:58and phenomenal numbers in maybe 150,000 people
17:01was the sort of order of the day.
17:04So, it was an incredible feat
17:06to get all those people in to the station in the morning
17:09and take a similar number away in the evening.
17:12Gosh, I mean, people must have had to start queuing up pretty early
17:15to get on the right train.
17:16Yeah, so everybody was given a position
17:18based on the train that they were on.
17:21It used to stretch right the way up the street
17:23outside of Barrie Island Station.
17:25That's incredible.
17:26But, unfortunately for the railway,
17:29as people got better off,
17:30so they were able to buy cars or come down by coach.
17:34And so, after about mid to late 50s,
17:37the numbers started to trail off.
17:39Basically, you've got a full life-size model railway just for you.
17:44Yeah, that's what I say to my wife.
17:46Yeah.
17:49But these wagons and locomotives
17:51aren't the only piece of Barrie's railway history to be preserved.
17:58In the late 1890s,
18:00Barrie Pier Station was constructed right along the waterfront,
18:03providing transportation to people coming and going from steamboats.
18:09However, to get there, the railway didn't go over or around.
18:13It went directly under, creating a 280-yard tunnel that cut through Barrie.
18:20And although bricked up, I have managed to get access to this special place of history.
18:27We are now in the tunnel that connected Barrie Island Station to Barrie Pier.
18:32And through this, hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers would have made their way,
18:37excited about starting their holiday on the beach.
18:40So, it feels like you can almost feel their excitement standing in here.
18:44But fun little fact, in this tunnel, the royal train was hid during the Second World War.
18:51When the king and queen came to visit South Wales,
18:54they brought the royal train down with them,
18:57and then they placed it in here to protect it from air raids.
19:01But it's an extraordinary structure,
19:03and it's always just really fun to be in an old tunnel like this.
19:19And this is the end of the line,
19:21where you would have come out of that tunnel and onto the beach.
19:24And just look at this view.
19:26Now, behind me is where Barrie Pier Station used to be.
19:30Just think about it.
19:32Millions of tons of coal have come through here before the war,
19:35and then hundreds of thousands of tourists have come through after.
19:39It's just incredible.
19:41Now, these tracks do not lead to anywhere anymore,
19:44but they are a powerful testament of how the railways changed this country,
19:51how they changed this town, and how memories were made for generations.
19:56The Welsh coastline and seaside resorts are truly spectacular,
20:00and Barrie Island Station has a fascinating history.
20:04Now, we're heading across rolling countryside and down to the south coast.
20:14Perched right on the edge of the sea,
20:17Dawlish Station is the epitome of British coastal railways.
20:23For more than 175 years, it's brought holidaymakers to the Devon coast,
20:28famous not only for the seaside charm,
20:31but also for the black swans that glide along the brook through the town.
20:38In 2014, storms tore through the seawall,
20:43severing the railway line and showing just how vulnerable, yet vital, this station remains.
20:49Reality is the railway line runs on the seafront,
20:53and obviously Mother Nature isn't always very kind to us.
20:57Chris has been looking after the Devon and Cornwall local railways for many years.
21:02In order to fix the railways as a result of that storm,
21:05we needed many, many people, many contractors,
21:09lots and lots of material, concrete, steel,
21:12and the goodwill of the local community.
21:16So not only is the sea a problem in making holes within the wall,
21:20but it will also affect the embankments and the cliffs as well.
21:24So what we've needed to do is go in and do soil netting,
21:27where we go up, drill big holes, put big pins in,
21:31and steel mesh that will hold everything in place.
21:34So it doesn't necessarily always protect everything from falling,
21:37but all it will do is catch anything so that the line isn't made unsafe.
21:42The storm may have destroyed the seawall back in 2014,
21:46but it also built something new.
21:51The Friends of Dawlish are a community determined to protect,
21:56preserve and make Dawlish beautiful.
22:01My name's Carol Holbeek.
22:03I've been a volunteer gardener here for the last 10 years.
22:07The Friends of Dawlish were formed after the great storm.
22:12There's about 12 of us, and we come down here every week.
22:18I volunteer because my father was a railway man,
22:24so I feel I've got trains in the blood.
22:28All my childhood holidays were spent down here,
22:32and I've lived here for 25 years,
22:35and this is the place that touched my heart as a youngster
22:39and continues to do.
22:44The dedication of volunteers in Dawlish
22:47and all over the railway network
22:49is truly something to admire.
22:57Back in Sheringham, I have so much more to see,
23:01but I also need to visit the next station along the track,
23:05Waybone.
23:07Oh, look at this ticket office.
23:09It's fab.
23:10Oh, hello.
23:11Can I get a return?
23:12Yeah.
23:12Please.
23:13Oh, of course.
23:16Thanks very much.
23:17Thanks very much.
23:18Today's train's right.
23:20Well done.
23:22Oh, hello.
23:22Hello.
23:23How are you?
23:24Nice to meet you.
23:25How are you doing?
23:25How are you doing?
23:26So, this is...
23:27Oh, so we've got...
23:27Do I have diesel as well, or just...
23:29Yes, so today we've got steam and the diesel rail car.
23:33I've just bought a ticket,
23:34and I'm not entirely sure which one I'm on.
23:36Am I on steam or diesel?
23:38So, with that ticket,
23:39you can run on any train you like today.
23:42Oh, that's brilliant.
23:43So, are you a volunteer here, then?
23:45I am, yeah, yeah.
23:46OK, so what's that like, then?
23:49It's fantastic, really.
23:50It's just another world of imaginations, really.
23:54You come on here,
23:55and you've got, like, another family full of railway people.
23:59And how long have you been here?
24:00So, this is currently my eighth year of being on the railway.
24:04I started at a very young age, at ten.
24:07So, I join the youth development group,
24:09and we meet up once, twice a month,
24:12a group of youngsters,
24:13and we just get given loads of different jobs.
24:16Oh, brilliant.
24:17Oh, brilliant.
24:18Well, look, I hear they've got scones on this one,
24:20so I'm going to get on it.
24:21They do.
24:21Yeah.
24:21Thanks, everyone.
24:22Thanks for doing this.
24:22Enjoy your cream tea.
24:23I will.
24:29Hello.
24:30Yeah.
24:30And I think this might be my train.
24:31The cream tea train?
24:33Yes.
24:33Yes.
24:34Yes.
24:34Of course.
24:35So, before we go,
24:36would you like to go and meet the crew up the front
24:38that's going to pull it on the same train?
24:39Would that be all right?
24:40Of course, it would.
24:41Honestly, that would be great.
24:42They love showing the loco off,
24:43so we'll go and have a look.
24:44Shall we go?
24:44Yes, sir.
24:45Shall we go?
24:52The fellas that make it go.
24:53How are you?
24:54I'm sorry.
24:54You're nice to meet you.
24:55How are you, Michael?
24:56How's Nick?
24:56How are you?
24:57How are you, Nick?
24:57How are you?
24:58And it.
24:59And Michael is my husband.
25:00Is your husband?
25:01Is my husband.
25:02We are on the crew today,
25:03the guard and the driver.
25:05So, how long have you been together,
25:07not as a married couple,
25:09but working on the railway together?
25:1011 years now, yeah.
25:1211 years, yeah.
25:13And what about you, Nick?
25:15Yeah, about 40 years.
25:17About 40, yeah.
25:18I'm always struck by the level of commitment
25:20that you all have,
25:21and I'm just out of interest
25:22just because I'm a bit of a speed freak.
25:24How quickly does it go?
25:2625 mile an hour here.
25:29And then how quickly could it go?
25:3170, I don't know, yeah.
25:32Yeah, probably, I think you're 70, yeah,
25:34something like that.
25:35Yeah, but you've got a test there.
25:36Is there any chance that I could have a...
25:39Absolutely.
25:40Are you awake?
25:40Yeah, I have a boat.
25:41I can show you around.
25:42Oh, brilliant.
25:43And they're dirty.
25:44There's their foot there.
25:45Oh, get in.
25:47Oh, man, it's massive.
25:51Oh, man, that's a lot of core
25:52at the shovel there.
25:53We will use about a tonne and a half in a day.
25:56How far have you got to throw it?
25:57Right down the front of there.
25:59So, if you look...
25:59So, right out the front of the firebox?
26:01It's about eight, nine foot down there, I should think.
26:03And we have to cover the whole thing.
26:06So, it's got to be even?
26:08Even.
26:08Well, normally, you would fire around the edges
26:10and a bit thinner in the middle.
26:11But, yes, you've got to keep it all covered all the time.
26:13Right.
26:14Otherwise, you'll end up damaging the boiler.
26:15So, it's a...
26:16Oh, so it's a properly skilled job.
26:18We've got no computers on here, nothing like that.
26:20It's just pure mechanical.
26:22Everything is mechanical.
26:23And know-how.
26:24And analogue gauges.
26:26See, I'm going to have a T-shirt made that I'm strictly analogue.
26:29I just am, because I am.
26:31We'll get on you one as well, then, because...
26:32I will, I will.
26:33We'll start a club that is strictly analogue.
26:36Yeah, that's right.
26:37See you, mugger.
26:41While Michael and Nick stoke the fires,
26:43I'm off to find my seat
26:45for the short journey to Wayborn Station.
26:49Oh, it's a great...
26:50Look at that, it's a proper cup of tea.
26:52Yeah, that thing.
27:11I'm very much looking forward to seeing Wayborn Station,
27:14and I can't wait to get stuck here.
27:17Now, I'm not sure at this point
27:18whether where I need to be.
27:20Whether I need to be here,
27:22or back in the...
27:23I'll go about the signal box.
27:42I'm in the east of England, in beautiful Norfolk,
27:46while Damien is off to one of the country's busiest coastal cities, Brighton.
27:51For generations, this has been the start of your holiday.
27:56A short train journey from London,
27:58and on a glorious day like today,
28:01you are steps away from the beach.
28:03Elevated high above the city with incredible vistas,
28:07this station remains one of the most beautiful coastal destinations in the UK.
28:16Brighton Station has welcomed visitors since 1841,
28:21when a beautiful Italianate building was carved into the hillside
28:25in a major engineering feat.
28:29Sheltering the surge of holidaymakers who transformed Brighton
28:33from a fishing town into a thriving seaside resort.
28:37A station built on innovation.
28:40It stands as a monument to the age of steam and leisure.
28:44I've tracked down Ross to tell me a little bit more
28:47about the history of the station and its incredible glass canopy.
28:52Why such an impressive station that's clearly pushing the boundaries
28:57of engineering and architecture of the time?
28:59By the 1880s, the London Bright South Coast Rail,
29:02they wanted some dramatic statement about how successful they were.
29:07The massive glass canopy, or the glass roof sheds just in front of me here,
29:12really was a statement of change.
29:15And it was deliberately built to consciously encircle
29:20the old, original, elegant, understated Italian building.
29:24And the station itself, it wasn't just a sort of terminus station, was it?
29:29They were actually constructing trains here as well.
29:32Yes, there was a goods yard, there was a goods station,
29:35there was a locomotive works,
29:37there was an engineering and coach repair area as well.
29:41It was a really huge area.
29:43I don't think it's too much to say that Brighton was something
29:46of a railway town for a short period.
29:50I mean, all of those things coming together,
29:52you've got the trains coming in, you've got this incredible structure,
29:55you've got trains being repaired, built, shipped, dispatched.
29:59That must have been the equivalent of having
30:02an enormous car manufacturing plan, but focused on the railways.
30:07Yes, and it was dramatic, and it was really large and special.
30:12And it attracted workers from all over the country.
30:15But it also, as a station, was a big feature of Brighton.
30:28Now that I've seen the upstairs of the station,
30:30I get to sneak off to one of the station's hidden spots.
30:34Like City, I also have my own special entrance,
30:37thanks to Rob, who knows this station better than anyone else.
30:43Rob, come on in.
30:46How are you doing?
30:47How are you doing?
30:49So this is where they keep you?
30:51I'm here 24 hours a day.
30:52These tunnels are incredible.
30:54What were they originally built for?
30:56Well, they weren't originally a tunnel.
30:58This was the outside of the station in 1840,
31:02and this was a pathway up to the back of the station.
31:05And it wasn't until later that they were actually covered over.
31:09I could see why you spend so much time down here.
31:12I get the excitement from you.
31:13And this, it's impressive upstairs,
31:16but looking now at what they've achieved down here,
31:19oh, my God.
31:20And right on top of all of this incredibly dense engineering,
31:26you've just got the delicate timber of the platform.
31:28Yeah.
31:29So, yeah, there's the walkway there,
31:31there's the platforms along there,
31:33and you slightly lose your bearings in here.
31:38Gets even spookier, doesn't it, as you come along here?
31:43This was the original cab road
31:45for the horse-drawn carriages to come into the station.
31:49Over the years, it's been built over
31:52and hidden beneath the station's many expansions.
31:56But one of the interesting things that you can see along here,
32:00there's some ruts in the wall there.
32:03Now, that was for, you had horse and carriages queuing,
32:07waiting to get onto platform.
32:08So instead of using their brake or getting the horses anxious,
32:12they'd rest the wheel back on the brick wall
32:14and use it as a brake.
32:16And that's just made these lovely scallop marks in the wall.
32:19And they run all the way down this wall,
32:22yeah, just waiting to pick up passengers like taxis do nowadays.
32:26Fantastic.
32:30No!
32:32Not the end!
32:33Not quite the end, but almost.
32:36Yeah, it was breeze blocked up,
32:38but it does go then out to platform 7 and 8,
32:41and then the taxis could go out to the front of the station
32:44and off down Queen's Road down to the seafront.
32:48Completing the loop.
32:50Yeah.
32:53From day-trippers to modern festival-goers,
32:57Brighton has always been more than a stop.
33:00It's a place where journeys begin,
33:03memories are made,
33:04and the sea is just a few steps away.
33:07As the trains roll in and out,
33:10Brighton timelessly and proudly
33:13brings its heritage into its present day.
33:24Back in beautiful Norfolk,
33:27I'm on a short trip from Sheringham to Weibhorn Station.
33:31This is essentially a coastal line.
33:34Look at the sea.
33:35It's fabulous.
33:41What a lovely experience.
33:51Weibhorn Station was opened in 1901.
33:54Built by a local craftsman,
33:56it's been described as an Edwardian masterpiece,
34:00and I can see why.
34:06I've seen a lot of the lane and who runs it,
34:09but now I have the privilege to learn
34:12just how it's all controlled.
34:16Simon.
34:16Yes.
34:17Hello, I'm Si.
34:18Very nice to meet you.
34:18Good morning, Si.
34:19Good morning.
34:20So this is the signal box?
34:22Yes.
34:23Yep.
34:23So there's a lot of levers.
34:25Yep.
34:25The levers control the direction the trains move,
34:29either into one platform or the other,
34:31via the points.
34:32OK.
34:33And the signals give the driver the authority
34:35to move towards the next signal.
34:38So that's the train leaving Sheringham,
34:41so we need to send in two bells back.
34:43So you want to press the button back twice.
34:49OK, OK.
34:51So that's the train on its way.
34:53We've said, great, thank you very much.
34:55So we now need to signal the train into the platform.
34:58Crooms.
34:59So the first thing we need is a lever cloth.
35:01Lever cloth.
35:02The tea towel.
35:03The tea towel.
35:04Yeah, you see.
35:05Yeah.
35:05Well, you see.
35:06We have the signal diagram above.
35:08That shows us where the signals are.
35:10Oh, dear.
35:10But in this case,
35:11the first one we need to move is number 28,
35:14and we need to press the platform one button
35:16above it at the same time.
35:18Right.
35:18So press the button and pull lever 28.
35:24And now lever 29.
35:28Oh, that's stiffer.
35:30Why is that?
35:30It's further away.
35:32Oh, yeah, of course.
35:34Yeah?
35:34Yeah, so because it's mechanical.
35:36Of course, yeah.
35:37We just need to go and get the token off the driver.
35:39I put my tea towel down.
35:41The token system was developed by Henry Woodhouse in the 19th century.
35:46It was invented to prevent collisions with other trains on single track lines.
35:52The token is a physical object the driver of a train entering a single track line must be in possession
35:59of.
35:59This train received a token at Sheringham.
36:03And now hands it off to Simon when it enters Waybone Station.
36:07And there's the token off the driver.
36:10So it's literally just you hold your hand out and he just does that.
36:13Yeah, just drops it onto you.
36:16Which isn't too bad when he's coming past at this speed.
36:19He's coming through at 10, 15 miles an hour.
36:21Right.
36:22They can come with you at quite a thump.
36:25Quite a thump.
36:26That's an understatement.
36:27There's about half a ton of metal in that.
36:31I'll follow you.
36:37Now our driver needs a different token to continue safely onto the next station.
36:42But first, I need to change some points.
36:46So we need to put the point lock back in, number nine.
36:49Trains have been controlled by mechanical signal boxes since 1843.
36:56Change the points, which is number 10.
37:00Surprisingly, they're still fairly common throughout the UK.
37:05And then get the token out for the train to go towards Holt.
37:13Now that we have the next token for the driver, we need to clear some more signals.
37:18So back to the end of the frame.
37:20Yeah.
37:22Leaving number 27.
37:24Leaving number 27.
37:25Start up.
37:26Yeah.
37:30And then number 26.
37:3226, boss.
37:34Key token?
37:35Yes.
37:35Yeah.
37:36It's all happening here.
37:38I never thought a tea towel was so useful.
37:41Yeah.
37:42And then this needs to go to the driver.
37:45OK.
37:47Are we doing that?
37:48We're doing that.
37:49Great.
37:52Where's the driver?
37:54Somewhere near his engine.
37:55Oh, that fellow there.
37:56Great.
37:56Smashing.
37:57Platform one.
37:58Get in.
37:58Great.
37:59I'm off with me talking.
38:01This is the driver.
38:02Hello, Bob.
38:03How are you?
38:04Thanks for meeting you.
38:05Yeah, there's your token.
38:06Thank you very much, sir.
38:07Not at all.
38:07Have a safe journey.
38:08Thank you very much.
38:13Now, I'm not sure at this point whether where I need to be.
38:16Whether I need to be here or back in the...
38:20I'll go back to the signal box.
38:24And that's it.
38:25That's it?
38:26His way.
38:27He's on his way.
38:28We're checking the train.
38:29Is it lees?
38:29He's making sure all the doors are closed correctly.
38:33There's nothing hanging or rattling on any unusual noises.
38:36No.
38:37Any reason to stop the train.
38:39So we're checking everything is safe as part of our duties here.
38:44And we're checking.
38:45It's got a tail lamp on the back so we know that the train is complete.
38:49Well, that's brilliant.
38:52Absolutely brilliant.
38:57I must confess.
39:01That was highly confusing and really rather stressful.
39:05It's like a swan.
39:08You know, the train's running backwards and forwards beautifully on the track.
39:14Means that you have such a huge amount of effort and work that goes on behind the scenes to kind
39:21of keep that motion going.
39:24It's remarkable.
39:26Remarkable.
39:27Remarkable.
39:28Really privileged to see it.
39:33Before I get the train back, there's just one more stop for me.
39:36I have to visit the beating heart of the station.
39:40The whole railway looks seamless, but this is where the graft happens, isn't it?
39:46This is where you keep them on the rails.
39:48That's what gives us all the buzz.
40:01Heading further afield in the UK is Derry-Londonderry's Northwest Transport Home.
40:07It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Northern Ireland.
40:11The route offers breathtaking views of the coastline, while the station itself provides vital links to the city and a
40:19welcoming community space.
40:20It takes many people to keep the station running, and Mark is one of those at the centre of it
40:27all.
40:27My role entails being responsible for the customer services side of the northern area for Northern Ireland Railways.
40:34So the Northwest Transport Hub sits in its location right beside Lock Foyle.
40:40It also sits on the doorstep of the Peace Bridge.
40:45London Derry is a city that takes great pride in itself, as Northern Ireland's second city, from commuters to holidaymakers
40:54to students to even local football and sports teams utilising the station.
40:58So this station plays a huge part in keeping the city moving.
41:03Another key contributor to the development of the station is Michelle.
41:08This railway station is really special.
41:12Waterside Station was opened in 1874, replacing an earlier station that was built in 1852, when the railway arrived in
41:19Derry.
41:21It's the very last surviving Victorian terminus station in the north of Ireland, and it is in a beautiful setting.
41:29When you walk inside, you're hit by the space, about how it has been modernised and about the passenger facilities.
41:36It's a warm, inviting space.
41:39You know, people are happy to come to the station, even if they're not using public transport.
41:44And they can sit and they can look out the window, have a coffee, and actually watch the river go
41:49by.
41:54From the riverside views of Derry, London Derry, to the Norfolk coast, it's all stunning.
42:03Back in marvellous Waybourn, one stop away from Sherringham, I'm meeting some of the talent that keeps the poppy line
42:10running.
42:14Gentlemen.
42:15Hi, I'm Sy.
42:16Nice to meet you.
42:16Hello, Sy.
42:17Hi.
42:17Hi, I'm Keith.
42:18I'm the chief engineer.
42:19Nice to meet you, Keith.
42:20Hi, I'm Dylan.
42:21I'm one of the apprentices.
42:22Hiya, Dylan.
42:22I'm Daniel.
42:23I'm another apprentice here.
42:24Oh, well done, lads.
42:25Well done.
42:26Welcome to our engineering emporium.
42:29It's fabulous, isn't it?
42:31What is the thing you're doing here?
42:33Right, well, I mean here, in the running shed, we maintain the low coast.
42:37Every 28 days we stop, we wash the boilers out thoroughly, they're all thoroughly inspected, check for any wastage, cracks.
42:43We re-box it up, refill the boiler, put the water treatment in, and it's ready for another 28-day
42:48cycle.
42:49The whole railway looks seamless, but this is where the graft happens, isn't it?
42:54This is where you keep them on the rails.
42:56Yeah, that's what makes, that's what gives us all the buzz.
42:58And what, lads, what, what was it?
43:01Because in the digital age, you don't expect lads your age to want to get dirty with spanners and big
43:07bits of machinery.
43:08What was it that you, that you just loved that attracted you to this opportunity?
43:12It was just that, the opportunity to get hands-on, get dirty and get involved.
43:18Right?
43:18Yeah, like sitting at a computer or an office all day just doesn't appease me.
43:22I'm much for hands-on work.
43:23And it's so important that you guys do it because, Keith, it's another generation that you're giving a skill set
43:29to, to keep it alive, right?
43:30Exactly right. I mean, one of the things I wanted to introduce was an apprenticeship training scheme.
43:33Yeah.
43:34Because you need people with the right skills and the right attitude that can handle and deal with those sort
43:40of working environments.
43:41So we decided we'd grow our own through an apprenticeship.
43:44It's brilliant, Keith.
43:45It is a real pleasure and an honour to lead the team that we have here.
43:49And they've got some really good, cracking members of the engineering team.
43:55Atmosphere, camaraderie, plenty of banter.
43:57I bet.
43:58I bet.
43:59I bet.
44:00Do you get some stick, boys?
44:01Do you?
44:02Oh, yeah.
44:02Yeah.
44:04You can always sell when they settle.
44:05They start giving you back.
44:06Ah, yeah.
44:06That's it.
44:07The lads are in.
44:08The lads are in.
44:09It definitely feels like there's a really lovely, bright future.
44:14And that's great.
44:16Fancy a cover?
44:16We'll get you a mug of engineer's tea, then.
44:18Come on.
44:19I've missed a mug of engineer's tea.
44:20I'll follow you, lads.
44:21I don't know where I'm going.
44:22Come on.
44:36To end the day, I've come back to splendid Sheringham, to be by the sea.
44:42What a great day here in Sheringham.
44:46Two different railways with two very different stories.
44:49You have the Bitten Line, bringing people here directly to the coastline.
44:54And then you have the wonderful North Norfolk Railway.
44:58Keeping the heritage of steam and that golden age alive.
45:04I've met volunteers.
45:05I've met engineers.
45:06And I've met signalmen.
45:08All working together as a community to keep the place running.
45:14Providing a time capsule of history that anyone can visit and experience.
45:19And then there's the seaside.
45:22The fresh Norfolk air.
45:24The promenade.
45:25The beach huts.
45:27The people having a splash and a laugh in the water.
45:33But the railways didn't just bring visitors.
45:36It actually shaped this town.
45:39And it's proof, isn't it, that railway stations aren't just places to catch a train.
45:45They're part of our community and transport us to some of the most beautiful places in Britain.
46:02Next time stations that are much more than just a transport hub.
46:07The years we've been forming bonds with these remarkable places.
46:11What keeps that passion about railway stations.
46:15And exploring green futures.
46:17So you've got a building that's carbon neutral effectively.
46:21Just to sleep.
46:38We'll see you next time.
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