Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Great Coastal Railway Journeys is a TV show on BBC2. All aboard! Weaving through charming seaside towns, historic landmarks and natural wonders, Michael Portillo explores the coastal communities the railways made. The program has been available since 2024. A total of 30 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in July 2024.
Last episode
Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Michael Portillo’s railway adventure along the north and south coasts of the English Channel resumes in Dover, where he recalls the biggest evacuation in military history.
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Michael Portillo travels through the longest undersea tunnel in the world on the Eurotunnel shuttle rail service from Folkestone to Calais.
Michael Portillo sets off on a new railway adventure to explore the twin shores of the English Channel and the estuaries of the Thames and Medway.
Series 1
30:00
30:00Michael Portillo reaches the terminus of the West Highland Line at Mallaig.
30:00Michael Portillo's adventure reaches the west coast of Scotland where, aboard the Jacobite Express, he crosses the awe-inspiring Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Series 3
Michael Portillo takes the train to the medieval walled town of Conwy on the last leg of his exploration of the shores of north Wales.
Michael is on the Isle of Anglesey, where the briny waters of the Menai Strait are being used to create a Welsh gastronomic delight.
Michael Portillo steams through the glorious scenery of the Snowdonia National Park on one of Britain’s greatest heritage lines, the Welsh Highland Railway.
Series 1 30:00
30:00Onboard the West Highland Line, Michael Portillo explores the stunning scenery of Scotland's west coast and islands as he heads to the Hebridean archipelago.
30:00Michael Portillo continues his exploration of Scotland's spectacular west coast, travelling from the town of Helensburgh to Connel Bridge.
Series 3
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in north Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula.
Michael Portillo embarks on a railway journey around the western coast of Wales. He begins on the Victorian Cliff Railway at Aberystwyth, finishing the first leg in Tywyn.
Michael Portillo nears the end of his railway adventure tracking the rugged coast of south west England. He finishes in the westernmost reaches of England, in the Scillonian archipelago.
Series 1 30:00
30:00Michael Portillo sets off on the first leg of a trip from the Firth of Clyde to Lewis and Harris.
30:00Michael Portillo's rail trek along the coast of Northumberland continues towards the Farne Islands.
Series 3
Michael reaches the pretty Cornish fishing village of St Mawes, today an exclusive holiday destination for connoisseurs of yachts, fine food and luxury hotels.
Michael leaves Devon for Cornwall and the rugged Atlantic coast of its northern shore, where the ruins of Tintagel Castle emerge from the mist and spray of the sea.
Michael Portillo reaches Devon’s county town, Exeter, dominated since the Middle Ages by its magnificent gothic cathedral. He joins stonemasons charged with conserving its intricate Beer stonework.
Michael Portillo embarks on another journey exploring the shores of Britain, travelling from the Jurassic Coast to the rugged tip of the Lizard Peninsula and beyond to the spectacular Isles of Scilly.
Series 1 30:00
30:00Michael Portillo travels the length of the Northumbrian coastline, and visits the mighty Bamburgh Castle.