The World’s Busiest Railway 2015 (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 24th August 2015)
Documentary series exploring the world’s busiest railway. From their base at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, Dan Snow, Anita Rani, Robert Llewellyn and John Sergeant reveal the science, systems and staff responsible for keeping this supersized transport system running to schedule. In this opening episode, Dan, Anita and Robert try commuting Mumbai-style, tackling super dense crush load’ on the world’s busiest commuter trains. With as many as 14 people crushed into a square metre, these trains are more than twice as crammed as the most crowded UK trains. Passengers hang from the sides of trains and cross the tracks, so they are in for quite a ride. John Sergeant heads to Darjeeling’s steam-powered hill railway and reveals the historical connection between tea and trains. And cameras are on board with the dabba wallahs – a crack team of couriers who deliver 200,000 home-cooked lunches to offices all over Mumbai.
The World’s Busiest Railway 2015 (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 25th August 2015)
Documentary series exploring the world’s busiest railway. Dan Snow, Anita Rani, and Robert Llewellyn examine the role the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai plays in long-distance travel across India. The country’s rail passengers travel three million kms every day – that is the distance to the moon and back, four times. Anita joins passengers on a long-distance sleeper across India, to discover who’s travelling, what they pay for their tickets and what conditions are like on board. The station team have just six hours to service trains after every journey. With trains measuring more than half-a-kilometre in length this is a gargantuan task. Robert joins the team to watch this turnaround in action. Dan gets his hands dirty with the support teams who process more than 25,000 dirty sheets a day and ensure that everyone on board is fed and watered. And we go on board one of India’s poshest tourist trains, where you can travel like a maharaja at a cost of £600 per night.
The World’s Busiest Railway 2015 (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 26th August 2015)
Documentary series exploring the world’s busiest railway. Dan Snow, Anita Rani, Robert Llewellyn and John Sergeant go behind the scenes to reveal the hidden areas of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station unseen by commuters. Robert visits a city-sized repair facility where, every 18 months, train carriages are given their version of an MOT. He tries his hand at repairing seats and discovers that carriages are still painted by hand. Cameras are on board with one of the train drivers – known as motormen – and are given privileged access to the lounge where they gather before going on duty. Anita heads onto the roads of Mumbai to see if commuting by road is any easier than by rail. But with an average speed of just 9 kmph, she discovers that progress is slow and hazardous by car. John Sergeant visits two rural stations that still operate historical systems for train control and discovers how a silver ball can keep passengers safe.
The World’s Busiest Railway 2015 (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 27th August 2015)
Documentary series exploring the world’s busiest railway. In this final episode, Dan Snow, Anita Rani, Robert Llewellyn and John Sergeant consider the challenges faced by the station and ask what the future holds. Nine people a day die on Mumbai’s railway lines. Anita tackles the railway’s head of safety on the measures they are taking to reduce this fatality rate. Dan meets two eye witnesses to 2008’s terror attacks that claimed the lives of 52 people at the station. He also takes a ride on Mumbai’s newly built Metro to consider what the future could hold for the city’s 5.5 million rail commuters. John Sergeant is in the Western Ghats, one of India’s biggest mountain ranges, revealing the heavy human cost of building the line that connects Mumbai to the south and east of India. Robert fulfills a childhood dream and becomes a train driver for a day and Anita tries her hand at station announcing.
The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 28th August 2015)
The award-winning show continues the sixth series of unique irreverent satire. Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker tear into the week’s main talking points, joined by a celebrity guest and a live studio audience.
All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.