Michael Portillo shares his passion for the British railways by retracing four journeys described in the original railway guide; Bradshaw's Handbook.
Going right back to the early days of railway travel in England he takes the train from Liverpool to Scarborough to recapture some of the elegance and excitement of the Victorian era.
Each DVD in the set covers another of route from Bradshaw's including Preston to Kirkcaldy, Swindon to Penzance & Buxton to London.
En route Michael stops to visit some of Britain's most beautiful cities and hidden-away villages and meet people whose lives have been shaped in some way by the railways.
Throughout these monumental journeys, Portillo explores the secret ammunition factory at Gretna, sails the last steam boat on Lake Windermere, learns to talk 'scouse' in Liverpool, takes a dip in Bath Spa, cooks a traditional curry in Birmingham, tries his hand at oyster fishing in Cornwall and meets survivors of the Coventry Blitz.