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Two years after being closed to passenger traffic because of a massive earthquake, the Coastal Pacific railway is open again, offering spectacular views of the rugged, eastern coast of New Zealand. This 216-mile journey whisks passengers from Christchurch through the Canterbury Plains, over the beaches of Kaikoura, and past the pink salt plains of Lake Grassmere, en route to Picton. This behind-the-scenes journey follows the team that operates the train and the people who are still repairing the route so it remains safe for years to come.
There's no better way to explore Vietnam than by rail, aboard the Reunification Express. This three-day adventure from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a stunning ride, rich in spectacular views of rivers, rice paddies, and dragonfruit orchards and steeped in the nation's war-torn past. Join us as we go behind the scenes to meet the crew, some of whom are literally risking their lives to deliver a great experience and keep passengers safe through rough weather, landslides, illegal crossings, and even hidden death traps.
The Belgrade to Bar train takes passengers on a 12-hour Balkan adventure across the majestic Dinaric Alps and through land that was torn by a brutal civil war just decades ago. But through difficult times and terrain, this mighty train has journeyed forth, on its course from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to Bar, in Montenegro on the Adriatic Sea. Join host Teddy Wilson on this rugged ride as we cross 435 bridges, snake through 254 tunnels, and skim atop an ancient tectonic lake on this one-of-a-kind, 296-mile train voyage.
Embark on one of the most expensive and highly sought-after train rides in the world: Seven Stars. A ticket for this luxury sleeper train is so exclusive, passengers have to enter a lottery just to get onto the waitlist, and we will show why as we glide through Kyushu, an island brimming with beaches, hot springs, and active volcanoes. But it's not lava eruptions the train's driver and crew need to worry about this trip; it's an approaching Category 5 super typhoon that has everyone on high alert...and threatening to cut the trip short.
Host Teddy Wilson takes a bucket-list tour across Spain's lush and rugged northern coast aboard the "five-star hotel on wheels" Transcantábrico Clásico. This eight-day, 600-mile trip features jaw-dropping scenery, remarkable excursions, and gourmet meals. But while passengers live in luxury, the drivers and crew must battle extreme weather, challenging terrain, a problematic braking system, and slippery tracks. But no obstacles can keep this team from delivering a first-class experience on one of the most glamorous train rides in the world.
Grab a seat (and oxygen mask) for a magnificent, dizzying ride up the Andes aboard Peru's legendary Tren Turistico. Reaching heights of over 15,000 feet above sea level, this railway whisks adventurous passengers through bustling Lima, past ancient ruins, and straight towards the clouds. For passengers, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but for the conductor, crew, and even the train itself, it's a voyage that will push them to the limit as they confront steep inclines, fallen trees, and the crush of a city of 10 million people.
Mighty Trains goes behind the scenes with NTV's two Italo trains – the AGV and the EVO – as they expand to cover more of the Italian railway network, connecting passengers from Turin to Venice and Naples to Milan on two of the fastest trains in the world.
Mighty Trains rolls through Norway along the Bergen Line – described as one of the most amazing railway journeys in Europe. The Bergensbanen stretches nearly 500km from Oslo to Bergen, passing through an astonishing 182 tunnels, and some of the most scenic vistas in the world. Along the way, we take a side trip on the Flam Railway, which boasts one of the steepest railway climbs on Earth. Once we arrive in Bergen, we travel north for a ride on the famous Nordland Line, which stretches from Trondheim to Bodø - an Arctic railway that is an important part of Norway's infrastructure, transporting passengers and freight across the North.
Mighty Trains takes viewers to Australia! Hop aboard the Indian Pacific –a bucket list train journey – for an epic adventure across southern Australia. Along the way, passengers will be transported through the harsh Australian desert, the rolling countryside, beneath lush mountain ranges and everything in between over a four day, 4,352 kilometer transcontinental journey.
Mighty Trains takes you to Switzerland – home of the Bernina Express. It's one of the most beautiful train journeys on earth – especially in the winter. Traveling along the highest railway line in Europe, this passenger train navigates 55 tunnels, nearly 200 viaducts and bridges. The engineering feats along the line are so spectacular it's the first of three railway lines on the planet to make the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Mighty Trains hops aboard South Africa's most luxurious train for a breathtaking journey from Pretoria to Cape Town across historic routes and past impressive scenery. We travel aboard classic carriages that are pulled by a series of steam, diesel and electric locomotives making Rovos Rail a bucket list trip for passengers from around the world.
Mighty Trains takes viewers on a backpackers dream. Jump aboard the colourful trains of the State Railway of Thailand where we'll travel over historic bridges, snake alongside the ocean and continue past swamps, canyons and mountains. It's an incredible rail journey that burrows through ancient areas, through historic tunnels, and over raging rivers and beautiful but deadly landscapes that make up this incredible railway.
Hector Rail's powerful trains haul timber for paper products giant SCA to their $1.2-billion pulp mill in Ostrand, Sweden; this challenging route takes trains along some of the most difficult railways in the country.
Take a ride on two magnificent journeys with New Zealand's KiwiRail: the TranzAlpine, a five-hour jouurney across 223 kilometres, and Northern Explorer, an 11-hour trip through five unique regions of the North Island.
Travel to Spain to ride on Europe's biggest high-speed rail network; on the route between Barcelona and Madrid, visit areas under construction to expand the infrastructure and learn about the new high-speed train set to hit the tracks in the coming year.
Take a ride on Maharaja's Express, one of the most luxurious trains on the planet; often referred to as Indian Railways crown jewel, passengers pay from $2,900 to $26,000 USD per ticket for the privilege of being treated like royalty.
Following a $280-million restoration project, passengers can once again experience one of the most spectacular and dangerous rail journeys in the world on Ecuador's Tren Crucero flagship luxury train.
Hop aboard Rocky Mountaineer for a picturesque journey across Western Canada and over the Rocky Mountains as the train rolls from Vancouver to Banff, and then from Jasper back down to Vancouver.
Mighty Trains takes viewers inside Great Southern Rail's enormous Adelaide warehouse where everything from toilet paper to truffle oil has to be precisely inventoried and stored for the long trip north.
The train is equipped with a special motorail car to transport passenger's cars when they vacation across country or are moving from one part of Australia to another.
We take a special trip on the Pichi Richi Railway – a narrow-gauge tourist line operating along the original Ghan route, where flash floods and rocky terrain made for difficult travel. The Ghan moved its tracks further west in 1956, but the Pichi Richi Railway offers tourists a trip on an original steam locomotive train to experience what Ghan travel was like a hundred years ago.
Mighty Trains joins the North Rail Express as it travels on Europe's longest continuous freight link. The first forty-two kilometers of this link is the most treacherous. Passing through the mountains between the two countries is never routine. During the long Arctic winters, lack of daylight and limited visibility are big challenges. Once through the mountains, they have to constantly slow down the heavy train on the steep downward section into Kiruna.
Mighty Trains follows the crew that operates that WP&YR as they get the route and equipment up and running after a long winter season – including clearing snow from the tracks, implementing their avalanche program and rebuilding and upgrading their original steam locomotive and vintage passenger cars.
The crew are all Skagway area locals and most come from families who have worked on the railway for generations. Theirs is a unique knowledge of the railway and technology that they are all too happy to share.
The Canadian is VIA Rail's iconic passenger train, travelling between Vancouver's Central Station and Toronto's Union Station on four-day, four-night journeys that cater to everyone from high-end vacationers to remote northern Ontario residents hitching a ride to the big city. A team of chefs work in the tiny galley kitchen to prepare fresh gourmet meals for the passengers looking to enjoy the scenery from the dining cars. While on its 4,466 km journey, The Canadian traverses much of the country, through the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, Prairies, boreal forest, and along the pristine lakes of Northern Ontario.
Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen, also known as the "bullet train", is a high-speed commuter train that travels more than 500 km between Tokyo and Osaka in less than 2.5 hours. The Shinkansen operates on its own dedicated railway lines at speeds of up to 285 km/hour while carrying upwards of 400,000 passengers on a daily basis. In operation since 1964, the Shinkansen has carried 5.3 billion people without a single passenger fatality.
Given Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone places in the world, the train is equipped with a range of detectors to prevent derailing in the event of seismic activity. Viewers also get a glimpse into the future of SuperConducting Maglev (magnetic levitation) train technology, a new form of rail transportation that Japan is currently testing and developing for deployment in 2027.
The Glacier Express climbs almost 5 km during its daily eight-hour journey on a route that challenges locomotives to their max, and yet is so beautifully engineered, the railway has been declared a UNESCO Heritage Site – one of only three railroads in the world with that honour. Running between Zermatt, at the foot of the famous Matterhorn, and the ski town of St. Moritz, the Glacier Express travels across the mighty Swiss Alps as it runs from one side of the country to the other.
Up to 250,000 people take the train every year, which has been running this route since 1930, yet parts of the rail line have been in operation for more than 125 years. MIGHTY TRAINS explores the challenges of climbing such heights and the railroad that conquers them. The locomotives hauling this train are cutting-edge versions of old technology, using rack and pinion drives to pull the train up the steepest slopes on the route.
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