Michael Portillo in Michael Portillo's 200 Years of the Railways / BBC
The BBC has announced plans to broadcast four more instalments of Michael Portillo’s Railway Journeys series back to back.
The run begins next month with 15 episodes of Great Japanese Railway Journeys, which sees the former politician take in Osaka, Kyushu and Hokkaido, then the five-episode Great Korean Railway Journeys with high-speed trains that travel over 200mph.
Portillo retraces the ancient Silk Road in five episodes of Great Central Asian Railway Journeys, then the run concludes in May with 15 episodes of Great Continental Railway Journeys, which starts in the Mediterranean and heads into Central Europe.
“I am delighted that these new journeys are about to reach the screen,” said Portillo, who has been hosting Railway Journeys for more than 16 years. “From the exemplary rail network of Japan to the glorious architecture of Central Asia and the rich histories of Europe, each trip brought genuine surprises. There is always something new to learn and experience by train. All aboard!”
Alex McLeod, BBC Daytime’s commissioning editor, added: “I feel like the luckiest first viewer in the world when I watch these journeys. I always learn such a lot about the world we live in and am left with an overwhelming urge to travel and experience the same joy and wonder that Michael does. I hope that our viewers will feel the same way.”
Great Japanese Railway Journeys begins on Monday, April 13 at 6.30pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.
