Train Tracks

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20090825

20091004 (R4)

They may be a shadow of their former infrastructural selves but railways still hold a curiously affectionate place in our national life.

That's nowhere more true than in the world of music where chuffing, whistling, steaming and clackety-clacking have been the inspiration for hundreds of songs.

Pianist and broadcaster Simon Townley has never described himself as a railway enthusiast, but he's always had an ear for the things that inspire composers and songwriters.

Country and Western star Laura Cantrell, music professor Allan Moore and composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett contribute their thoughts on this mass transit system which has provided such a rich seam of inspiration over the last 200 years.

Producer: Tom Alban

An exploration of the rhythms and themes of the railway train in music.

Live From Darlington

20250927

Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated.

Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK.

Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross.

The train arrives in Darlington - the place where it all began on 27 September 1825 with the inauguration of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Elizabeth Alker presents live from the station, joined by the Championship Section NASUWT Riverside Band and live guests Railway 200's Alan Hyde, and Leona White-Hannant, development director of the Hopetown Darlington Museum, to bring that first journey to life and to explore the impact it had on the area and the world beyond. Plus, Elizabeth features one of Radio 2's specially commissioned tracks for 21st Century Folk celebrating the 200th anniversary of the railways.

And throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London.

A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway.

A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways

Elizabeth Alker continues the musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.

Elizabeth Alker presents live from the station, joined by the Championship Section NASUWT Riverside Band and live guests to bring that first journey to life and to explore the impact it had on the area and the world beyond.

Plus throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London.

[LISTEN NOW]

Live From Edinburgh Waverley

20250927

Broadcasting live from Edinburgh Waverley, Tom McKinney is joined by special guests Neil Brand to explore train music in films through the ages, and Heather Waugh, who until 1st September, was Scotland's only female freight train driver to explore women on the railways.

There's also live music courtesy of Sequoia Duo, and Andrew Maclean - assistant director and head curator at the National Railway Museum - introduces us to one of their most interesting exhibits. Plus there will be more historic and evocative locomotive recordings from the National Railway Museum archive, and Tom will catch up with Petroc as he speeds across the country aboard the Highland Chieftain.

A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway

A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways

Tom McKinney with a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway

[LISTEN NOW]

Live From Inverness

20250927

The day will be framed by a specially curated railway-themed soundtrack, featuring music inspired by trains from across the UK and beyond, as well as pieces that resonate with the locations the train passes through. And there will be live music on location from Inverness, Pitlochry, Edinburgh, Darlington and London, including a Scottish piper, a brass band and a jazz quartet.

There will also be two brand new commissions from composers Erland Cooper and Jasper Dommett. Erland's piece, Unfolding Landscapes, is inspired by the Caledonian Sleeper and J.M.W. Turner's 1844 painting Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway, and Jasper wraps things up at King's Cross with All Change!

Plus, we'll hear from a range of special guests throughout the day, visit iconic railway destinations - including the National Railway Museum in York - and let the trains themselves do some of the broadcasting, as we revel in evocative field recordings of locomotives recorded across the UK.

And as the train departs Inverness station at 0755, the Highland Chieftain will be sent on its way by Pipe Major Iain Campbell playing one of the Highlands most loved bagpipe tunes.

A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway

A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways

Join Petroc Trelawny for a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment in national life: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.

[LISTEN NOW]

Live From Kings Cross Station

20250927

For the Train Tracks' grand finale at Kings Cross station, Georgia Mann celebrates the London transport hub as Petroc heads towards the city. There's train-inspired music from Vivian Ellis, Meredith Monk and Heitor Villa-Lobos, as well as more historic and evocative locomotive recordings from the National Railway Museum archive.

Georgia's special guests include the architect Colin Bennie from John McAslan and Partners, the architects who transformed Kings Cross back in 2012, and she'll be joined by jazz trumpeter Poppy Daniels and friends who will grace the station concourse with live music.

There's also a look to the future of train travel with Dr Debbie Hopkins, Associate Professor in Human Geography at the University of Oxford and Tom Cheesewright, an Applied Futurist.

Plus, composer Jasper Dommett will introduce their new piece All Change!, a world premiere commissioned and specially recorded by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway

A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways

Join Georgia Mann and Petroc Trelawny for a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway

[LISTEN NOW]

Live From Pitlochry

20250927

As the train reaches the picturesque Pitlochry in Scotland, Tom Service is poised - broadcasting live from the station platform and its beautiful surrounding area.

Pitlochey's station platform will being bursting to life with live music from the Strathspey Queens - fiddler Patsy Reid and cellist Alice Allen. Tom will also take a walk from the platform over the iconic Pitlochry Dam and Salmon Ladder to the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, which nestles in the stunning landscapes of Highland Perthshire to hear live music from Scots Opera and chat to the theatre's artistic director, Alan Cumming.

Plus throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London.

A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway

A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways

Tom Service with a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
	20090825	20091004 (R4)	They may be a shadow of their former infrastructural selves but railways still hold a curiously affectionate place in our national life. That's nowhere more true than in the world of music where chuffing, whistling, steaming and clackety-clacking have been the inspiration for hundreds of songs. Pianist and broadcaster Simon Townley has never described himself as a railway enthusiast, but he's always had an ear for the things that inspire composers and songwriters. Country and Western star Laura Cantrell, music professor Allan Moore and composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett contribute their thoughts on this mass transit system which has provided such a rich seam of inspiration over the last 200 years. Producer: Tom Alban An exploration of the rhythms and themes of the railway train in music.
Live From Darlington	20250927		Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK. Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross. The train arrives in Darlington - the place where it all began on 27 September 1825 with the inauguration of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Elizabeth Alker presents live from the station, joined by the Championship Section NASUWT Riverside Band and live guests Railway 200's Alan Hyde, and Leona White-Hannant, development director of the Hopetown Darlington Museum, to bring that first journey to life and to explore the impact it had on the area and the world beyond. Plus, Elizabeth features one of Radio 2's specially commissioned tracks for 21st Century Folk celebrating the 200th anniversary of the railways. And throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London. A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway. A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways Elizabeth Alker continues the musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. Elizabeth Alker presents live from the station, joined by the Championship Section NASUWT Riverside Band and live guests to bring that first journey to life and to explore the impact it had on the area and the world beyond. Plus throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London. [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW]
Live From Edinburgh Waverley	20250927		Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK. Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross. Broadcasting live from Edinburgh Waverley, Tom McKinney is joined by special guests Neil Brand to explore train music in films through the ages, and Heather Waugh, who until 1st September, was Scotland's only female freight train driver to explore women on the railways. There's also live music courtesy of Sequoia Duo, and Andrew Maclean - assistant director and head curator at the National Railway Museum - introduces us to one of their most interesting exhibits. Plus there will be more historic and evocative locomotive recordings from the National Railway Museum archive, and Tom will catch up with Petroc as he speeds across the country aboard the Highland Chieftain. A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways Tom McKinney with a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway [LISTEN NOW]
Live From Inverness	20250927		Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK. Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross. The day will be framed by a specially curated railway-themed soundtrack, featuring music inspired by trains from across the UK and beyond, as well as pieces that resonate with the locations the train passes through. And there will be live music on location from Inverness, Pitlochry, Edinburgh, Darlington and London, including a Scottish piper, a brass band and a jazz quartet. There will also be two brand new commissions from composers Erland Cooper and Jasper Dommett. Erland's piece, Unfolding Landscapes, is inspired by the Caledonian Sleeper and J.M.W. Turner's 1844 painting Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway, and Jasper wraps things up at King's Cross with All Change! Plus, we'll hear from a range of special guests throughout the day, visit iconic railway destinations - including the National Railway Museum in York - and let the trains themselves do some of the broadcasting, as we revel in evocative field recordings of locomotives recorded across the UK. And as the train departs Inverness station at 0755, the Highland Chieftain will be sent on its way by Pipe Major Iain Campbell playing one of the Highlands most loved bagpipe tunes. A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways Join Petroc Trelawny for a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment in national life: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. [LISTEN NOW]
Live From Kings Cross Station	20250927		Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK. Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross. For the Train Tracks' grand finale at Kings Cross station, Georgia Mann celebrates the London transport hub as Petroc heads towards the city. There's train-inspired music from Vivian Ellis, Meredith Monk and Heitor Villa-Lobos, as well as more historic and evocative locomotive recordings from the National Railway Museum archive. Georgia's special guests include the architect Colin Bennie from John McAslan and Partners, the architects who transformed Kings Cross back in 2012, and she'll be joined by jazz trumpeter Poppy Daniels and friends who will grace the station concourse with live music. There's also a look to the future of train travel with Dr Debbie Hopkins, Associate Professor in Human Geography at the University of Oxford and Tom Cheesewright, an Applied Futurist. Plus, composer Jasper Dommett will introduce their new piece All Change!, a world premiere commissioned and specially recorded by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways Join Georgia Mann and Petroc Trelawny for a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway [LISTEN NOW]
Live From Pitlochry	20250927		Saturday 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, when George Stephenson drove Locomotion No. 1 on its inaugural journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, to great fanfare. The 26-mile journey was a landmark moment in public transport and the springboard for the great Victorian age of the railways, transforming how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. Anchored by resident train enthusiast Petroc Trelawny, Radio 3 is celebrating this historic occasion by travelling from Inverness to London on the Highland and East Coast Main Lines, aboard the Highland Chieftain, one of the longest direct train journeys in the UK. Over the course of the eight-hour, 581-mile journey, Petroc will provide updates from the train as it speeds south. He'll be joined by fellow Radio 3 presenters at stations along the route, including Tom Service at Pitlochry, Tom McKinney at Edinburgh Waverley, Elizabeth Alker at Darlington and Georgia Mann at King's Cross. As the train reaches the picturesque Pitlochry in Scotland, Tom Service is poised - broadcasting live from the station platform and its beautiful surrounding area. Pitlochey's station platform will being bursting to life with live music from the Strathspey Queens - fiddler Patsy Reid and cellist Alice Allen. Tom will also take a walk from the platform over the iconic Pitlochry Dam and Salmon Ladder to the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, which nestles in the stunning landscapes of Highland Perthshire to hear live music from Scots Opera and chat to the theatre's artistic director, Alan Cumming. Plus throughout the show, live updates from Petroc Trelawny as he continues on his day-long train journey from Inverness to London. A railway extravaganza celebrating 200 years of the birth of the modern railway A train journey from Inverness to King's Cross, marking 200 years of British railways Tom Service with a musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment: the 200 year anniversary of the birth of the modern railway [LISTEN NOW]