BBC Four presents a documentary, ‘A Branch Line Railway with John Betjeman‘, airing on Sunday, 26 May 2024, at 7.00 pm. First broadcast in 1963, the program features John Betjeman as he explores the Evercreech Junction to Burnham-on-Sea railway line in Somerset, offering a unique glimpse into a working steam branch line railway.
John Betjeman takes viewers on a journey along the original route of the Somerset Central Railway. As he travels, he examines the towns and stations along the way, providing a poignant and nostalgic look at the declining steam railway industry. Betjeman’s narrative is filled with lament for a bygone era, and the program culminates with a stroll around Highbridge Wharf, accompanied by a poem that captures his despair: “Highbridge Wharf, your hopes have died…”
This documentary, first broadcast over six decades ago, shows us a different time in Britain’s transport history and provides a fascinating insight into the world of steam railways through the eyes of one of the nation’s best-loved poets.
Let’s Imagine: A Branch Line Railway with John Betjeman airs on Sunday, 26 May 2024, at 7.00 pm on BBC Four.
