Comedy icon Alexei Sayle begins his second series for Radio 4 of rail journeys across the country with a trip to the most visited seaside resort in the country - Blackpool.

Alexei’s mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers, in a quest for conversations with strangers that will reveal their lives, hopes, dreams and destinations.

Along the way, Alexei holds a finger into the wind of the thoughts and moods of the great British travelling public. There’s humour, sadness and surprise as people reveal what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also delves into his own personal stories of a childhood in Liverpool and a long career as a comedian, actor and author.

In the opening programme of this new series, Alexei finds among his fellow travellers, Michael, who is on his way to a major international dance competition at the Winter Gardens Ballroom in Blackpool, with his first ever invitation to be a judge. He also meets friends Julie and Sarah who are out on a trip and determined to have fun, including turning the tables on Alexei and deciding they will interview him - with very surprising results. And, as a lifelong fan of trams, Alexei is thrilled to meet the woman who runs the most famous fleet of trams in the country, which has been carrying holidaymakers along Blackpool's seafront since 1885.

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