WALKING BRITAIN’S LOST RAILWAYS
Channel 5, 8pm
MAKING trainspotting cool, the multi-talented Rob Bell gets super excited about abandoned rail routes in this fascinating history series.
“Every lost railway has its own story to tell,” says the presenter, who is also an adventurer and engineer.
In the series he explores all the rail routes that made Britain’s railways the envy of the world.
The country once boasted twenty thousand miles of track, but in the course of the past century, almost half the network has disappeared, along with over 5,000 railway stations.
First he heads to North Devon, where the now-defunct lines once unlocked the wild coastline, packed out worldclass beaches, conquered Exmoor and laid the groundwork for the D-Day landings.
Whether it’s grinning away on an old steam train, waxing lyrical about the brass fittings and upholstery, or surfing the world-famous coastline, Rob makes an affable host.
And yes, he can surf, of course he can.