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Great British Railway Journeys

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Factual: History

Factual: Travel

Documentary series in which Michael Portillo travels the country by train.

All aboard! Armed with his trusty Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo explores the UK the railways made. Uncover hidden gems and fascinating communities from across the nation.

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Great British Railway Journeys: Series 8

Michael Portillo

Alison Kreps

John Comerford

Great British Railway Journeys: Series 8: Episode 2: Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

Episode 2

Episode 2: Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

Series 8

Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

BBC Two - Great British Railway Journeys, Series 8, Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

Michael heads north from London, and in Bedfordshire he gets to drive a 'locomobile'.

Michael Portillo continues his journey from London to Edinburgh. Michael heads north from London, and in Bedfordshire he drives a 'locomobile'.

After the excitement of his ride on the Flying Scotsman, Michael begins a new journey with his Bradshaw's guidebook north from London, following the historic service's path at a more leisurely pace. Along the way he is forced to expend more effort than usual on the rails as he pumps a track inspection trolley. A Swiss garden in Bedfordshire delivers an unexpected spectacle of early 20th-century engineering marvels and the chance to drive a 'locomobile'. 

Michael then goes back to school at Haileybury, once a training college for the East India Company, where the master is unimpressed by Portillo's exam performance. At Rothamsted Research, Michael discovers the Victorian origins of the fertiliser industry and a treasure trove of plant and soil samples.

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Using Bradshaw's Handbook, Michael Portillo sets off on three new railway journeys.

Using a nineteenth century Bradshaw's Handbook for travelling through Victorian Britain, Michael Portillo sets off on three new railway journeys which will take him across Britain.

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Great British Railway Journeys

Series 8

Episode 2: Welwyn Garden City to Peterborough

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