How Trains Changed the World

Episode 01

Power and Empire: The Great Arteries

Nov 26, 2018

One 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?

Episode 02

The Great Workhorses: Trains That Move Loads

Dec 3, 2018

From the Channel Tunnel to carrying iron ore in the Australian Outback, experts discuss the history and the future of freight trains.

Episode 03

Express Trains That Link Cities

Dec 10, 2018

Intended as an efficient, economical way of moving freight, the emergence of express trains revolutionised society with the demand for fast travel.

Episode 04

The Commute: Trains That Make Cities

Dec 17, 2018

The world's 10 busiest metro systems carry more than 22 billion passengers every year. How has the train shaped cities - and changed the world?

Episode 05

Trains and War: Weapons and Logistics

Dec 24, 2018

As weapons and transport, trains transformed the battlefield - from huge railway guns and hospital trains to those taking victims to death camps.

Episode 06

The Love of Trains: Power, Prestige and Romance

Dec 31, 2018

Trains have changed the way people see the world - and each other. What is it that makes them so special?