A fascinating and lively account of how the railways changed Britain forever. Presented by Christian Wolmar - the country's leading commentator on the railways - and based on his book of the same title, this new DVD includes dramatic location film from all over Britain: from the picturesque Settle-Carlisle line and the elegant Forth Bridge to the site of the world's first railway station and London's teeming commuter network.

The railways changed people's lives in every conceivable way. They could now take holidays by the seaside for the first time and travel across Britain for events like the Great Exhibition. Thanks to the railways, fish and chips became the national dish and league football the national game. Such dramatic changes are key to the story, which begins at the world's first passenger railway, the Liverpool and Manchester, and concludes with the high-speed train on the Eurostar line in Kent.

Enhanced by rare archive film and historic images, and boosted throughout by Christian Wolmar's ebullient presentation, this DVD is essential viewing for anyone interested in the railways, or indeed the history of modern Britain.