Films that feature the railways

[side effect]

Sorry if already done but I would be interested in any film drama or sitcom that featured the railway for a while.
I suppose theres loads.


Night train to Inverness with Denis Waterman. Me and my son would always watch this before our sleeper journey.

 

[Harvester]

A few oldies that spring to mind.

Ghost Train
The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Thirty Nine Steps
Get Carter

 

[Halwynd]

Minder on the Orient Express.

Filmed during 1985 onboard the British Pullman and Wagon-Lits trains, as well as a Sealink ferry. Clips at London Victoria, interior shots passing through the London suburbs, aerial shots of 73142 Broadlands passing through Kent and approaching Folkestone Harbour, plus location shots in France.

More filming locations at: https://www.minder.org/locations/S06E07_MinderOnTheOrientExpress.htm

Currently available to watch on ITV-X at: https://www.itv.com/watch/minder/29175/981515

 

[Gloster]

There is the British Railway Movie Database, which obviously only covers one area. John Huntley’s book Railways on the Screen (Ian Allan) is very thorough, but was published in 1993. The Reelstreets website does identify some locations, but is not specifically a railway site.

Really, this is an enormous and ill-defined subject. Are you after every programme that has even a fleeting glimpse of a train or only those with the train being prominent?

 

[Farang]

'Clockwise', a farce from 1986 starring John Cleese. Chaos ensues after he boards a train for Plymouth instead of the train to Norwich from the adjacent platform. Impossible, surely?

 

[steamybrian]

There are many, many films but a mention for..

Oh, Mr Porter starring Will Hay- although made in 1936 it features the long closed Basingstoke- Alton line.

Railway Children- two versions. (ffirst filmed on Keighley &WVR. 2nd version on the Bluebell Line.

James Bond films- filmed on Nene Valley Railway and Amberley Museum narrow gauge railway

 

[Mcr Warrior]

'Clockwise', a farce from 1986 starring John Cleese. Chaos ensues after he boards a train for Plymouth instead of the train to Norwich from the adjacent platform. Impossible, surely?

Still theoretically possible at somewhere like Sheffield, perhaps?

 

[jp4712]

The Ladykillers (1955) of course.

 

[John Webb]

....John Huntley’s book Railways on the Screen (Ian Allan) is very thorough, but was published in 1993.....

More recent than John Huntley's book (which also covered outside the UK and videos and documentary films) is "Horton's Guide to Britain's Railways in Feature Films". ISBN: 9781857943344, Author: Glyn Horton, published (2nd edition) in 2009 and is available from Morton's Books. More limited in scope than Huntley's book, it is more up to date, of course.

 

[Andrew S]

TV comedy programme Oh Doctor Beeching. From the same writers as Hi De Hi and Allo Allo.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Still theoretically possible at somewhere like Sheffield, perhaps?

In fact, it happened only a couple hours ago

Between:
17:49 and 17:53, the EMR to Norwich was in Platform 8
17:36 and 17:56, the XC to Plymouth was in Platform 6.

So while the EMR was there both the Plymouth and Norwich were on the same island.

Not exactly adjacent enough to confuse but they were on the same island directly across from each other.

 

[Ashley Hill]

The Flockton Flyer (filmed on WSR)
Gods Wonderful Railway (SVR)
The pilot of Porridge and Episode 1 of Going Straight both featured train journeys albeit mostly staged.
Great St Trinians Train Robbery (LMR)
Lame Ducks (SDR (in DVR days)).
To the Manor Born S3 Ep2 Station Closing. Filmed at Maiden Newton station.

 

[Lloyds siding]

I'm in one of them! 'Testament of Youth' features several scenes at railway stations and on trains. All filmed on the KWVR. The paparazzi were chasing after us because of our stars: Alicia Vikander and Kit Harington.

 

[Bertone]

Von Ryan’s Express - Frank Sinatra
The Train - Burt Lancaster

 

[Harvester]

Just watched the 2025 movie “28 years Later” this evening. There is a lengthly scene in an abandoned train (a class 31 on a rake of Mk2 stock), but no idea where it was filmed, with all the gory action taking place inside the coaches!

 

[ls2270]

There is an excellent definitive website on this subject…railwaymoviedatabase.com

 

[Trackman]

We could be here forever, but nothing wrong with that!

Worthy mention to the Fourth Protocol with Michall Caine.
The scene at St.Pancras stands out. Wouldn't be allowed these days, would have to be CGI.

 

[D6130]

Let's not forget the classic "Brief Encounter" (1945) with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard ....featuring Carnforth station and its refreshment room (disguised as Milford Junction).

 

[Lloyds siding]

One that features the railway a lot is The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night': reflecting their use of trains to get around in those days.
A famous occasion in real life was them arriving at Bangor station to get to the retreat for transcendental meditation with the Maharishi.

 

[D6130]

The Thirty-nine Steps - both versions - which involves the hero climbing out of a moving train while crossing the Forth Bridge....and not forgetting the spoof version featuring Kenneth Connor in Carry On Regardless.

 

[side effect]

Thanks everyone really appreciate your replies.

Im hoping caught on a train comes back on youtube.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Might be interested in the Railway Movie Database which aims to catalogue every instance of British or Irish railways appearing on film. Bit of a nice time waster on rainy winter evenings.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

"Closely Observed Trains" - a Czech film based in WW2 - excellent ! (and quirky)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Worthy mention to the Fourth Protocol with Michall Caine.
The scene at St.Pancras stands out. Wouldn't be allowed these days, would have to be CGI.

From memory it's not included in the film, but the book contains the immortal line: "Bog off!" said the porter.

 

[Farang]

In fact, it happened only a couple hours ago

Between:
17:49 and 17:53, the EMR to Norwich was in Platform 8
17:36 and 17:56, the XC to Plymouth was in Platform 6.

So while the EMR was there both the Plymouth and Norwich were on the same island.

Not exactly adjacent enough to confuse but they were on the same island directly across from each other.

I was thinking about London terminals, forgot about the rest of the country. Doh!

 

[MotCO]

The Titfield Thunderbolt and 4.52 from Paddington.

 

[Gloster]

The Titfield Thunderbolt and 4.52 from Paddington.

4.50, unless it has been retimed. The 1961 version was renamed Murder, She Said.

 

[BrandanM]

A couple of sitcom episodes...

Dad's Army: 'The Royal Train'

Hancock's Half Hour: 'The Train Journey'

Thanks everyone really appreciate your replies.

Im hoping caught on a train comes back on youtube.

I have that on VHS, but unfortunately nothing to play it on

 

[side effect]

Also sitcoms
First episode of going straight &
What ever happened to the likely lads
One foot in the grave going to Blakeys b&b
Till death us to part Bournemouth
Im sure theres many more and Arthur Askey in the love match.

 

[Lloyds siding]

One of the early films of a railway was the Lumiere brothers' 'L'arrivee d'un train en gare de la Ciotat' from 1895.
In 1896 the Lumiere brothers visited Liverpool and filmed vistas of Liverpool docks from the (newish) Liverpool Overhead Railway in their 'Liverpool Scenes' footage.
Another film featuring Liverpool stations is 'Gumshoe' which has shots of all three Liverpool terminals of the era (as well as some London Underground scenes).
Continuing the Michael Caine theme started above:- 'The Ipcress File', 'Billion Dollar Brain', 'Alfie', The Fourth Protocol' 'Half Moon Street' (LU stations)...I'm sure there are others!