Trains have been a part of cinema since the earliest days of film. With their movement and scale, they were a natural subject for early filmmakers.
Among the most famous early films is The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station by the Lumiere brothers. It is said that when it was first shown, in a Paris restaurant in 1895, people in the crowd cowered and screamed at the sight of the approaching train.
Although this is now widely considered a myth, it still highlights the dramatic power of films about trains. Since then, trains have played a starring role in everything from action-packed thrillers to classic romances. Whether as a backdrop, a plot device, or a symbol of adventure, they remain one of the most enduring sights in film and television history.
Emerging technologies and techniques for films about trains
In early British cinema, trains made for exciting subjects. Just as The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station amazed audiences in France, British filmmakers captured trains as part of music-hall entertainment.
Soon, a new style of film emerged, known as ‘Phantom Rides’. These films placed a camera at the front of a moving train, giving viewers the feeling of being on board.
One of these, dating from 1898, shows the camera gliding past Conway Castle on the North Wales Line. In the station beyond the castle stands a single, stooped man in a long coat, his hands in his pockets.
The golden age of train films came in the inter-war years, when Britain’s railways were run by the ‘Big Four’ companies. To compete with cars, they worked with filmmakers to promote rail travel. However, this sometimes came with unexpected results.
The Flying Scotsman (1929) featured a dramatic stunt where a character uncouples a carriage using only a penknife. Concerned about safety, the London & North Eastern Railway insisted on a disclaimer. Despite this, the film proved how trains could create action-packed stories that thrilled audiences.
Directing train documentaries and films
By the 1930s, trains had become central to some of the most dramatic moments in film. They provided action, suspense, and even romance, with filmmakers using stations and railways to create powerful storytelling moments.
The Flying Scotsman was an early example of a high-energy railway film. Actors performed their own stunts, clinging to the outside of a moving train in sequences that added to the film’s thrill. While dramatic, the use of a railway setting also kept production costs lower and filming safer.
Not all train films relied on fast-paced action, however. The Ghost Train (1941) takes place largely in a waiting room and Brief Encounter (1945) in a station refreshment room. Though both were adapted from stage plays, Brief Encounter became a cinematic classic.
In the external shots, filmed at Carnforth, Lancashire, trains thunder through the station. They symbolise the passing of time and the external forces driving the lovers apart.
No director understood the potential of trains better than Alfred Hitchcock. A lifelong public transport enthusiast, by the time he was eight years old he had ridden every tram line in London.
In his adaptation of The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935) he expanded the main character’s journey to Scotland. This created a tense moment where the fugitive hero clings to the Forth Bridge.
Hitchcock also recognised the claustrophobia of train compartments. Whether for the criminal conspiracies of Strangers on a Train, or the unexpected romance in North By Northwest (1959).
As Britain’s railway contracted after the War, main-line locations became harder for filmmakers to access. Hitchcock had used the Forth Bridge with ease, but by 1978, Don Sharp was unable to film there for his own version of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Instead, filmmakers turned to the growing number of heritage railways.
The first heritage railway film was The Railway Children (1970), filmed on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. Its success helped shine a spotlight on heritage railways, demonstrating how film could introduce new audiences to Britain’s preserved railway lines.
UK stations in film and documentaries
Many preserved railway stations have taken on second lives as film locations. Goathland Station, on the North York Moors Railway, became Aidensfield in Heartbeat (1992 - 2010) and later Hogsmeade in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). British Rail promoted itself with short train documentaries made by British Transport Films (BTF). One of the most striking examples is Snow (1963) by Geoffrey Hill. The film follows trains pushing through heavy snowdrifts, set to a driving soundtrack based on Sandy Nelson’s 1959 hit, Teen Beat.
Another successful train documentary film is Terminus (1961). Billed as a fly-on-the-wall portrait of Waterloo Station, some scenes were staged by actors to reflect real-life moments. One of the most memorable follows a woman waiting on the platform, holding a bouquet of flowers. However, her lover doesn’t turn up. She then wanders through the station, lost in thought while still holding the flowers.
Train TV shows and documentaries
As railway documentaries gained popularity in the 1960s, television producers continued to explore the railways in new ways throughout the following decades. Moving beyond BTF’s promotional shorts, these programmes began focusing on railway history, social change, and nostalgia.
One of the most influential figures in railway documentaries was John Betjeman, the former Poet Laureate. In 1973, he created Metro-Land, a film about the suburban developments that grew along the old Metropolitan Railway. These would later become the Metropolitan Line on the London Underground.
Betjeman had mixed feelings about these changes, ending the film at Amersham Station with the words, “grass triumphs… and I must say I’m rather glad.”
However, as the years went on, trains remained a familiar sight on TV. BBC Four produced a variety of railway-focused documentaries, including The Joy of Sets (2013), a programme about model trains.
Perhaps the most recognisable face of train TV shows today is Michael Portillo. His series, Great British Railway Journeys, which began in 2010, has introduced a new generation to Britain’s railways. Blending travel with history, it’s inspired by Bradshaw’s Handbook, a 19th-century railway guide.
Final thoughts
From the early days of cinema to modern television, trains have played a big role in storytelling. Whether in action-packed scenes, emotional dramas, or stunning visuals, railways have shaped the way stories unfold on screen. Even as train travel has changed over time, their place in film and television remains strong.
For those wanting to explore more, here are two of my favourite depictions of trains on TV.
First here is Ivor the Engine, a charming stop-motion animation series by Oliver Postgate that follows the misadventures of a green tank engine in the ‘top left-hand corner of Wales’. It’s a gentle, lighthearted series that captivated children when it first aired and still brings nostalgia today.
For something more haunting, there’s The Signalman, a ghost story first shown in 1976 as part of the BBC’s Ghost Story for Christmas series. Based on Charles Dickens’ short story, it follows a lonely railway signalman who sees terrifying visions of disaster.
More than just a chilling tale, it highlights the stress and isolation of Victorian railway workers. It’s a story that stays with you - once you’ve seen it, it’s not easily forgotten.