Railways of the Great War with Michael Portillo poster

Basic Info

First Air: August 04, 2014

Rating: ⭐ 7.0/10 (2 votes)

Status: Ended

Seasons & Episodes

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 5

Last Episode

Name: Railways and Remembrance

Season: 1, Episode: 5

Air Date: 2014-08-08

Runtime: 30 min

Michael travels through Britain and northern France uncovering railway stories from the Great War. In this final episode, Michael explores the aftermath of this earth-shattering conflict. For four years, the railways had fed the front line with vast numbers of men, munitions and supplies. But even after the Armistice had been signed in a railway carriage, the work of the railways was not done. As Britain continued to mourn its dead, the railways played an important part in their remembrance. Michael hears stories of railway war heroes and encounters a remarkable railway wagon used to honour them. He hears how the railways helped give birth to battlefield tourism and in the cemeteries of Ypres he meets the great grandchildren of some of the fallen.