1h 34mins approx.

Germany – we call into the station at Volklingen & study rush-hour passenger & freight activity in July 2009. Class 112 & 143 electrics & class 425 multiple units feature on passenger workings, whilst class 203, 291 & 185 are seen on freight as well as a Swiss SBB Cargo Re4/4 working a train of molten steel. We also take a trip to Dillingen station, where various electrics are seen, including classes 481, CFL4000, SNCF BB37000, DB151, 185 & 155 on freight & class 143, 425 & 628 on passenger services.

Switzerland – Spectacular alpine scenery accompanies us as we journey along the Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB). The line’s electric locomotives are seen together with a track maintenance car, new & old electric multiple units & an engineers train working on the route’s upgrade. Superb country views with distant mountain tops add to this fascinating & popular metre-gauge railway network.

Austria – The border station at Spielfeld-Strasse is the boundary between the Austrian & Slovenia railway networks. The station acts as a traction change-over point & sees a wide variety of trains together with some unusual railway operating practices involving loose locomotive shunting. Slovenian electric locomotives from classes 342 & 363 are witnessed as well as Austrian traction in the shape of 2016, 1042, 1142 & 1116 ‘Taurus’ electrics.

Belgium – Zeebrugge: we look at the lines to the south of the port complex, where we see electric multiple units on local trains, class 27 on push-pull workings & even the obligatory Euro class 66. We see recently brought in class 20 electrics in action, plus some of the brand-new TRAXX class 28 electrics as well as one of the older generation locomotives from class 26.

France – the box-like BB16500 locomotives are now on their last legs earning their keep on local trains in the north of the country. We paid a visit in June this year to the Lille area in an attempt to track down some of the last remaining examples still in service.

Germany – an extended visit to the Brockenbahn in the Harz Mountains. We begin at Drei Annen Hohne where we take a ride up the grade towards the Brocken Mountain with external views taken from the train behind the powering steam locomotive. We watch the run-round manoeuvres at Brocken station before we see a departure and two arrivals with their respective locomotives powering up the steep grade.