Great British Railway Journeys Catch up, Series 15: 9. Edinburgh to Queensferry on BBC 2

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 15: 9. Edinburgh to Queensferry

At the former Midlothian mining village of Newtongrange, Michael meets the son of a miner whose name loomed large in the disputes of the 1970s and 1980s, 'Red' Mick McGahey. On the outskirts of Edinburgh, at a recording studio in South Gyle, Michael is transported back to the wild world of 1970s pop with Bay City Rollers guitarist Stuart 'Woody' Wood.\n\nMichael leaves Edinburgh and takes the train north to Dalmeny for Queensferry, on the banks of the Firth of Forth. At the Progress Rail foundry, he marvels at the traditional skills still required to produce complex sets of rails for modern tracks in Britain and across the world.\n\nOn the south bank of the Firth of Forth, Michael recalls the construction during the 1950s and 1960s of the Forth Road Bridge, which he saw as a child from the train window while crossing the rail bridge.

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Great British Railway Journeys

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 12. Ironbridge To Coseley

Michael Portillo is in Ironbridge Gorge on the River Severn, where he discovers the Silicon Valley of the 18th century. Exploring this hotbed of industrial innovation, he takes ...

20-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 11. Shrewsbury To Telford

Sharp as an arrow and armed with a longbow, Michael Portillo re-enacts the Battle of Shrewsbury, fought at the Shropshire village of Battlefield in 1403. He hears how the rebel ...

19-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 10. Dumfries To Auchinleck

Michael concludes his journey from Cumbria to Dumfriesshire by crossing the Solway Firth into Scotland, where he visits the beautifully preserved last home of Scotland’s g ...

16-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 9. Aspatria To Carlisle

Michael Portillo’s railway journey through Cumbria and Dumfriesshire takes him to the rolling countryside around Aspatria to meet a couple who swapped their old life for o ...

15-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 8. Maryport To Penrith

Michael Portillo’s railway journey through Cumbria and Dumfriesshire heads to the hills as he follows in the footsteps of the Lakeland poets. In Keswick, he retraces the a ...

14-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 7. St Bees To Grange-over-sands

Michael Portillo’s railway tour of Cumbria and Dumfriesshire continues as he travels along the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. Just outside Egremont, he visits Florence Mine, ...

13-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 16: 6. Windermere To Sellafield

Michael Portillo begins a railway tour of the spectacular border counties of Cumbria and Dumfriesshire, starting in the stunning Lake District National Park, where he discovers ...

12-10-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 5. Herne Bay To Leeds Castle, Kent

Armed with his interwar copy of Bradshaw’s Guide to the Railways, Michael reaches the Kent seaside resort of Herne Bay, where he learns about a pioneering aviatrix who beg ...

18-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 4. Deal To Margate

From the Kent Cinque Port of Deal, Michael heads to the splendid Walmer Castle, home during the 1920s to a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Beauchamp. Michael’s guide ...

17-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Great British Railway Journeys

Series 13: 3. Rye To Dungeness

Michael Portillo follows his 1930s Bradshaw’s guide to the unspoilt East Sussex Cinque Port of Rye. On the windswept harbour beach, he hears how, in 1928, a generation of ...

16-09-2026

BBC 2

All episodes