World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys - Episode Guide

Canada's iconic Rocky Mountaineer train in a jaw-dropping loop from Vancouver to the heart of the Rockies, via crystal clear lakes, lush coastal rainforest, and the splendour of the Fraser Canyon. Through some of North America's most staggering natural beauty, and on to Banff in Alberta. The journey also ventures through the spiral tunnels and shows how to track bears with the National Park rangers.

Cameras capture a route through Spain, beginning near Leon, part of the famous north Spanish Pilgrimage, in the Picos de Europa mountains. The railway then runs through the Basque country before the famous Guggenheim Museum greets travellers in Bilbao. In Galicia, the gorges, coastline and sea bridges are a sight for sore eyes, and a speciality cider tour refreshes the train's guests. The journey ends in Ferrol, a spectacular harbour that has been a major shipbuilding centre for most of its history and has been a key city in many wars.

A stunning journey in New Zealand, through the heart of South Island's best scenery. It starts in Greymouth, renowned for its coal mining past, moving on to Arthur's Pass National Park - with its historically important Maori hunting grounds. The train passes through Cass, made famous by Kiwi artist Rita Angus and onwards to the Waimakiriri gorge and its 15 tunnels and four viaducts. Rail engineers recall how the line has been affected by earthquakes before the journey arrives in Christchurch, a city sitting on a volcano.

A trip through Wales' highest peaks and deepest valleys. Starting in Pwllheli in the north west, the route heads along the lines that were built during the slate industry's heyday. At Porthmadog, the journey briefly switches to the reconstructed steam trains of the Welsh Highland National Heritage Railway to Minffordd station. Nearby is the village of Portmeirion, famous for its role in the classic TV series The Prisoner. Rejoining the Cambrian Line, local farmers reveal what the railway means to them, before the route takes in the seaside resort of Aberdovey.

In Norway, camera follow a train journey that begins in the capital Oslo and heads all the way to Bodo inside the Arctic Circle. The first leg is the Dovre line, running from to the remote northern wonderland of Trondheim. Along the way it passes through the vast Gudbrandsdal valley and across the awe-inspiring Dovrefjell mountain plateau. The route stops at the picturesque mountain village of Dombas, before changing to the Rauma railway, which features dramatic fjords opening out along the Rauma river, dotted with some of the country's most famous landmarks.

Bill Nighy narrates a journey that starts at Tirano and climbs up through the Italian Alps and lakes through into Switzerland, taking in the Landwasser Viaduct. At Disentis, the train track changes to a cog railway as the gradient gets steeper, and a much bigger engine is added to climb the steep mountain route. The journey then reaches its conclusion at Zermatt, sitting at the base of the majestic Matterhorn.

A trip beginning in Inverness and soon passing Culloden, the site of the last pitched battle on British soil. It then enters the Cairngorms National Park, home to some of Europe's finest landscapes as well as valleys steeped in Gaelic folklore. The park's station at Aviemore is home to the Strathspey Railway, where Victorian steam locomotives come to life. There is then a climb to the highest point on Britain's railway network before the train winds its way through Fife. Eventually the route crosses the Forth Bridge before arriving in Scottish capital Edinburgh, admired for its architecture and annual arts festival.

A 500-mile journey across South Africa in a luxury hotel train, which travels between Pretoria and Durban on the coast over the course of three days. The first stop along the way is Nambiti Private Game Reserve, home to rhinos and elephants, before moving on to the country's most famous battlefields and the Drakensberg Mountains. Passengers have a chance to explore the ancient art of the San people and visit a vineyard that produces some of South Africa's finest wines.

Beginning in the mountaintop town of Creel, the Chihuahua Pacifico Express - or El Chepe for short - winds its way through the Tarahumara Mountains, home to the reclusive Raramuri people. Divisadero, Mexico's most panoramic station, offers the first glimpse of Copper Canyon. Created by six separate yet conjoined gorges, it is four times the size of the Grand Canyon. The train continues on to the Urique Canyon, which at 6,200ft deep it is the deepest in North America. The final leg crosses the state of Sinaloa, Mexico's breadbasket, before reaching Los Mochis and the gateway to the Pacific Ocean.

The 200-mile Ligne de Cévennes, which travels northwards through the Massif Central to France's volcanic heart - Clermont Ferrand and the spectacular Puy De Dome. The route takes travellers across three incredible historic viaducts, plunges deep underground to explore the area's hidden wildlife and traverses through several impressive valleys. The route winds through one of the world's most spectacular national parks, before reaching its final destination, a collection of 80 dormant volcanoes.

New Zealand's Northern Explorer, the longest-running passenger service in the country. The train travels 423 miles along the historic North Island Main Trunk Line on a 12-hour voyage and the journey takes travellers through some of the most astonishing landscapes of the southern hemisphere from volcanoes to coast and from lava fields to unspoilt islands. Historians explain the history of the railway and tell the tale of the terrible tragedy at Tangiwai, when over 150 people were killed by a volcanic mudflow that hit the train.

A 600-mile journey through one of the most world's most northern countries - Finland - from Helsinki in the south to Kemijärvi in Finnish Lapland. The line whisks passengers through the thickest of forests, past vast frozen lakes 63 times the size of Lake Windermere and to station stops where time has stood still. As the train enters the Arctic Circle, it calls at Rovaniemi, a place destroyed by German soldiers at the end of the Second World War. Now the town has been re-built, famously in the shape of a reindeer, serving as the official home of Santa Claus. Narrated by Bill Nighy.

Bill Nighy narrates a train journey across Sri Lanka along one of the world's best-preserved Victorian railways. The trip begins in the coastal city of Colombo and moves on to the country's cultural and spiritual heart in Kandy. The journey continues through a a very English town that produces some of the world's finest teas, coming to a stop at a hill station surrounded by tropical forests close to one of the world's most spectacular viaducts - the Nine Arch Bridge.

Trips on five of the world's most luxurious train rides, with window seats for the most beautiful scenery on the planet. From the gastronomic luxury of the El Transcantabrico in Spain to the beautiful wooden sleeper cars of Rovos Rail in South Africa, cameras scenic rides fit for kings and queens.

A train ride along the most attractive coastlines in Europe. From Spain's northern seas to the beautiful Welsh coast and the frozen wonders of Norway, this documentary charts how each coast was shaped and linked by rail and meets some of the characters who live and work along these most scenic lines.

A trip through Devon to the tip of Cornwall, going back in time to recapture the golden age of luxury train travel. Travelling in the elegantly restored Statesman, passengers relax in its vintage carriages and enjoy the exquisite service. The first stop is on the stunning Devon coast, which suffered devastating destruction during the heavy winter storms of 2014. From Dawlish, it heads to Cornwall and across the Royal Albert Bridge, a masterpiece of railway engineering.

The West Highland Line is one of the world's truly legendary train routes, crossing spectacular Scottish moors and mountains as it heads towards Skye. Starting in Glasgow, it glides towards Loch Lomond, the world's largest inland stretch of water. It then sweeps north to enter the wild and windswept landscape of Rannoch Moor. After ascending to Corrour, Britain's highest station, the journey passes Ben Nevis, the UK's tallest mountain and then across the famous Glenfinnan viaduct. The coastal town of Mallaig is gateway to the Isle of Skye with its world-famous Highland cuisine and many breathtaking views.

A journey through Sicily that takes in seven Unesco World Heritage sites, with the first stop being a visit to a castle whose baron was inspired by Hampton Court. There's a meeting in Modica with Sicily's most famous chocolatier, a trip on the unique railway that travels around Etna, and a visit to Ragusa, a baroque-inspired city famous for its beauty and for its spiral railway that travels within a mountain.

Luxury heritage train The Northern Belle, aka steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth, travels through England's rural north west. Beginning in Preston, the passengers of its stylish 1930s Pullman carriages are soon whisked up through Cumbria and the spectacular landscapes of the Lake District. The train continues on to historic Carlisle, the site of a world-class medieval cathedral and home to supposedly England's most haunted station. It then joins the Settle to Carlisle line, considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world.

A journey through the mountains of the Italian Riviera in a restored vintage 1920s train, beginning at Cinque Terre national park, and concluding in the historic port city of Genoa. Along the way, the train stops at the elegant resort of Santa Margherita and the remote 10th-century abbey of San Fruttuoso.

A look at Bavaria's rich history of steam travel, seeing world-beating miniature railways and visiting a whole host of interesting places on a journey to the heart of the Bavarian Alps, where a beer-brewing monk and a town made famous by the Winter Olympics await. Later, a trip to Germany's highest mountain Zugspitze - which offers amazing panoramic views right across Germany and Austria.

Cameras focus on New Zealand's South Island, and the great Dunedin Railway's trains - the Inlander and the Seasider. The journey begins with a trip down the Taeiri Gorge towards Otago Harbour, and the area's capital, Dunedin. Bill Nighy narrates.

Cameras focus on the island of Taiwan, and three extraordinary railways. The journey begins in the eastern port city of Hualien, from where we travel north along the rugged Pacific coast. The trek ends with a view of Taiwan's highest mountain peaks above a sea of clouds.

Cameras follow a train route from Bergen to Oslo, through the extraordinary mountains of southern Norway in winter. This super-fast train travels daily to the country's capital, and first stop is Dale - a place where Norway's most famous knitters design and craft the country's famous jumpers. The final stop is Sandvika, where Monet painted around 30 scenes.

Austria's railway offers an adventure from Gratz, then the mountains and lake of Zell am Zee, and finally to the engineering marvel of the Alberg tunnel.

We travel on one of the oldest steam railways in Australia on a coast-to-coast journey, and climb through the Blue Mountains aboard the iconic Indian Pacific.

A magical mid-summer railway journey through central Sweden starts in Mora on the Inlandsbanan. This traditional town is in the county of Dalarna, the heart of Swedish traditional culture and often known as 'Sweden in miniature'.

Cameras focus on a railway that weaves in and out of England and Wales aboard the grande dame of luxury heritage trains, the Northern Belle. This historic adventure charts the story of two ancient nations from Norman times to the industrial revolution. Viewers meet the Fron Choir by Cefn Mawr viaduct and swap wheels for water to travel across the Pontcysyllte aqueduct, a huge stream in the sky.

In Anchorage, Alaska, cameras focus on flagship service the Denali Star, a luxury passenger train and part of the great Alaska Railroad fleet. The vehicle then heads north along the Knik Arm, and crosses this huge sea inlet to enter the vast wilderness of Alaska, America's largest and remotest state

Exploring the Far North Line, starting from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.

Escape with us aboard the magnificent steam train Tornado as its coupled up with 13 luxury vintage carriages on a 6 hour journey through Yorkshire, to Northumbria and the Borders.

Return of the travel series narrated by Bill Nighy, beginning with a trip from the Kyle of Lochalsh, a tiny fishing village on the far west coast of Scotland. The jounrney heads east across the Highlands, then turns south through the whisky country of Speyside to Aberdeen, Scotland's oil capital.

A journey from the Mexican border at San Diego, following the Californian coast north to the city of San Luis Obispo, aboard the aptly named Pacific Surfliner. Pulled by a gleaming Siemens Charger locomotive, the rake of five double-deck coaches takes viewers on a 350-mile trip.

This week, we power through the Peak District at full steam, pulled by the Royal Scot — one of the finest locomotives ever built.

This week's rail journey is one like few others. From the Quinta de Vargellas, a vineyard that has been making one of Britain's favourite after-dinner tipples for centuries — port — we travel down the line that once transported it to the city that gave it its name, Porto. 

In this episode, we're celebrating Italy and following the Neapolitan Line. Travelling west from the gelato shops of the seaside town of Pescara, we cross Italy through the remote and wild Apennine Mountains down to the bustling city of Naples on the west coast. Years ago, for many Italians, this was a one-way trip, their ultimate destination being the US. But the line also helped some to stay, such as the Pelino family, who used the line to create a confectionery business in the small town of Sulmona. Almost 150 years later, it is still selling its products worldwide. Rising into the Apennines on coaches that date back to the 1920s, winter descends. The heavy snow gives this section of the line the nickname ‘Italy's Trans-Siberian'. And as we pull into Roccaraso, nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, we really feel like we're in Russia. It's here we meet the town's most famous resident, Juan Carrito, a two-year-old marsican bear, who likes to hang around the station at night, before wondering off into the vast expanse of the National Park of Abruzzo each morning. Coming out of the snow, we pull into Castel di Sangro. Although it has a population of only 6,000, its football team was once blessed by the ‘Miracle of Castel di Sangro', rising to the Italian equivalent of the championship league for two glorious seasons. Our journey ends on-board the royal carriages preserved in the old locomotive works of Pietrarsa, next to Italy's very first railway line, linking the royal palace to Naples itself.

In this episode, it's a journey unlike any other, as we travel in a train made up of 18 vintage coaches on an epic 10-day expedition. Starting from one of the world's most remote cities, Walvis Bay in Namibia, we roll 1,500 miles through the Kalahari Desert to Pretoria, the executive capital of South Africa. On the way, we hunt waterbuck with the San people, one of Southern Africa's oldest peoples. We learn how a sheepdog can protect a flock from the world's fastest killer, the cheetah. And crossing into South Africa, we make brandy in a desert oasis, before visiting the ‘Big Hole', once the most productive diamond mine in the world, a place where the fortunes earned changed the face of Africa. Finally, arriving in Pretoria, we learn how one man, Nelson Mandela, helped heal centuries of bloodshed that scared these beautiful lands.

This is a scenic railway journey like few others. Starting a mile above sea level in Colorado's state capital, Denver, our train, the Rocky Mountaineer, makes its way through Wild West country to Moab in the state of Utah. On the way, we'll mine for gold, just as the first ‘fifty-niners' did in the mid-19th century. At almost 12,000 feet, we'll ski the continental divide, where any water falling to the west heads to the Pacific and any to the east the Atlantic. Entering the red rocks of the true Wild West, we'll pay homage at the grave of Doc Holliday, the dentist-turned-gunslinger who died peacefully in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. At the once thriving town of Cisco, Utah, we'll meet one of the last four residents. Their town began dying when the railroad switched to diesel and the trains no longer stopped there for water. Just before our train gets to Moab, we'll be in the water ourselves — white-water rafting down the mighty Colorado River.

The Train des Pignes explores France. Leaving chic 21st century Nice behind, the Train des Pignes, or the 'Pine Cone Train', takes viewers back to the Provence of the past. Cameras explore the village of Villars-sur-Var, where olive oil is made using the same stone-wheel technique the Templar Knights used 1,000 years ago.

This is a scenic railway journey like no other. Looping around Andalucía, the luxury Al Andalus train takes in some of the most staggeringly beautiful cities in Spain. Traveling south from Seville, we visit Jerez, where the horses of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art are trained. Then we rise up to the clifftop town of Ronda, before rolling on to the ancient cities of Granada and Córdoba. If the scenery outside doesn't take your breath away, the train itself definitely will. The Al Andalus is a five-star hotel on wheels, taking us back to the opulence of the 1930s.

Celebrating the wonders of Queensland, Australia, cameras travel over 1,000 miles from Brisbane to Cairns onboard one of the most advanced trains in the world. There's a look at a rum distillery in Bundaberg and trip on the historic Mary Valley line.