Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways

Chris Tarrant travels a historic colonial-era railway in West Africa linking Brazzaville to the coast. Built by French colonists at a devastating human cost, the line remains a vital lifeline through dense jungle, carrying people and freight in a country with few roads.

Chris crosses the Australian Outback on the 2,000-mile Adelaide to Darwin railway, known as The Ghan. He uncovers the truth behind this legendary line, named after Afghan camel drivers who once hauled goods across the desert.

Chris rides India's Konkan Railway along the west coast from Mumbai to Mangalore. Once avoided as impossible terrain, this "People's Railway", opened in 1998, finally connected remote villages and transformed a long-isolated region.

Chris journeys nearly 2,000 miles by rail from Bangkok to Mandalay, experiencing two contrasting rail systems. The route takes him through dramatic landscapes, rich cultures and challenging trains that test his passion for rail travel.

Chris attempts a rail crossing of the Andes, travelling from Chile's coast to Bolivia. He endures extreme altitude, harsh deserts and unconventional trains, battling altitude sickness above 4,000 metres to reach Sucre.

Chris undertakes his longest journey yet, travelling 2,000 miles from Moscow to the northernmost railway station on Earth. He explores brutal Soviet-era lines built in extreme Arctic conditions deep inside Siberia.