Railways: The Making of a Nation

Original version

BBC Two

Knowledge, drama, comedy and the arts for a broad adult audience.

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

BBC Two Scotland

BBC Four

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC Four HD

BBC Two Northern Ireland

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two HD

Simulcast of BBC Two Northern Ireland in high definition

BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

Simulcast of BBC Two Wales in high definition

BBC Two Wales HD

Liz McIvor

Stuart Woodman

Andy Richards

Railways: The Making of a Nation: Capitalism and Commerce

Documentaries

Capitalism and Commerce

28/09/2016

BBC One - Railways: The Making of a Nation, Capitalism and Commerce

Exploring how railways stimulated great changes to the nation's economy.

Series about Britain's railways. Liz McIvor explores how railways stimulated great changes to the nation's economy, including how business was done.

The railways stimulated great changes to the nation's economy. They also changed the way we do business, encouraging a new generation of mechanical engineers, skilled workers, managers and accountants. Originally, local railway entrepreneurs viewed trains as vehicles for shifting raw materials, stock and goods. But soon they discovered there was money to be made in transporting people. 

Places such as Derby became 'railway towns'. Derby was central to the new network and home to the engineers who made and maintained locomotives and carriages. But the railway boom of the 1840s also came with a 'bust'. A new age of middle-class shareholders who invested in the railways soon discovered what goes up can also go down. 

Alongside this were stories of railway rogues and dodgy dealing. However, railway companies recovered from the crash and continued to develop as complex national business organisations - capable of building great structures such as the Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire and St Pancras Station in London.

BBC One

Factual: History

Factual: Travel

Liz McIvor explores how Britain's expanding rail network sparked a social revolution.

Historian Liz McIvor explores how Britain's expanding rail network was the spark to a social revolution, starting in the 1800s and continuing through to modern times.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Railways: The Making of a Nation

Capitalism and Commerce

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Series

BBC Two Scotland

About BBC Two