Episode 2
Dan Snow traces the development of Britain's railways, from the beginnings of a true national network in the late 1830s through to the end of the 'railway mania' in 1847.
In the late 1830s, the railways arrived in London and linked the capital to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. This was the start of a truly national network - and one of the greatest civil engineering projects in history.
The spread of the railways triggered a mania across Britain. Railway tycoons like Samuel Morton Peto and George Hudson made fortunes as the stock markets boomed around these new developments. Yet the bubble burst in 1847 and shares plummeted. Thousands of ordinary shareholders filled the bankruptcy courts. However as Dan Snow reveals, the legacy of the mania was an incredible rail network for 19th-century Britain and a revolution in the way people lived.
Last on
Clip
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The "budget airlines" of the Victorians
Duration: 01:54
Music Played
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Luke Richards
Morning of the Attack
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Dan Snow |
| Producer | Helen Nixon |
| Director | Helen Nixon |
| Executive Producer | Eamon Hardy |
| Series Producer | Melanie Archer |
Broadcasts
Tue 22 Jan 201321:00BBC HD & BBC Two- Wed 23 Jan 201323:20BBC HD
- Mon 28 Jan 201300:25BBC Two Northern Ireland
- Mon 28 Jan 201323:20BBC Two except Northern Ireland
- Thu 30 May 201319:00BBC Two HD & England only
- Fri 31 May 201319:00BBC Two Northern Ireland & Wales only
- Sun 2 Aug 201519:00BBC Two except Northern Ireland & Scotland
Tue 5 Apr 201620:00- Wed 6 Apr 201601:55
- Wed 14 Jun 201723:20
- Tue 31 Oct 201715:15
- Sun 3 Jun 201819:00
- Mon 4 Jun 201800:30
- Sun 28 Oct 201819:00
- Wed 16 Feb 202223:20
- Mon 28 Nov 202216:15BBC Two except Scotland
- Thu 22 Dec 202201:30BBC Two except Scotland
