0:00:02 > 0:00:07This programme contains some strong language
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Britain's railway. The oldest and one of the busiest in the world.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- It's OK.- Just slow down. Slow down.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Surely this is illegal, to be packed in like this!
0:00:17 > 0:00:19A huge network under constant pressure...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Absolutely mental today.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- No driver.- No driver?- Come on, guys look for the driver and go!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..where anything and everything...
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Start tampering it, son.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34..can mean delay and chaos for thousands.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Backs against the wall.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38He's got a suicidal female on board.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Train now 90 late, owing to hitting a pheasant.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43I've heard everything now!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Filmed over a year across the nation...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- That one, fella.- That one? Cheers. - The seat next to't banana.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52..we go behind the scenes of an industry
0:00:52 > 0:00:54we all love to complain about...
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- Do you want a hand?- That's 323.50.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Oi!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..with the railway people determined to keep Britain moving.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08To infinity and beyond!
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Into battle.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20That's us now going into Scotland. Does it feel different?!
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Scotland, one of Britain's most challenging networks.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28Beautiful, isn't it?
0:01:30 > 0:01:35More than 200,000 passengers travel on over 2,000 trains every day...
0:01:35 > 0:01:38If you could step in a touch, please.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41..with ScotRail running services within the country
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and long-distance operators Virgin
0:01:43 > 0:01:48and East Coast Trains connecting England to Scotland's major cities.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52What I've been told today is utter, utter rubbish.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Political decisions about the rail network here
0:01:57 > 0:02:00are made by the Scottish, not British, Government.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04You're up against it all the time - the weather, time...
0:02:05 > 0:02:09- This is a network of extremes.- Whoa!
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And now, with winter months approaching, the railwaymen
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and women of Scotland are entering their toughest season.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19It's an ominous cloud. It's got some snow in it, I reckon.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Trudy is one of only two female drivers on East Coast Trains'
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Scottish routes, linking London with Aberdeen.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Start slowing down.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37You try and do everything as gracefully as possible.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Anybody can just thrash it up and down the country
0:02:39 > 0:02:43but I like to think that I've given everybody a smooth, comfortable ride.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45If an ex-boyfriend gets on, "Grr!"
0:02:45 > 0:02:47SHE LAUGHS
0:02:50 > 0:02:54There's trolleys that can be knocked over, the chef'll hate you forever.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Scottish smoked salmon for you.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Enjoy your breakfast, thank you very much.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I used to be a window dresser, so I was watching everything going past
0:03:04 > 0:03:07me and thinking, "Oh," and then I saw the advert in the paper and it said,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10"InterCity - come and drive our high-speed trains,"
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and it was BR days, and I said to our lad,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16"I'd love to drive a train - I've driven lots of other things,
0:03:16 > 0:03:17"I'd love to drive a train."
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And then I just turned the page and he goes, "What are you doing?"
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I said, "They don't let lasses drive trains, do they?"
0:03:25 > 0:03:28And he said, "Let's have a look." And in the smallest
0:03:28 > 0:03:31writing at the bottom - I actually thought it was a squashed fly -
0:03:31 > 0:03:33it said, "Equal opportunities - women may apply."
0:03:33 > 0:03:37So I went for it. And I got it and I was absolutely thrilled.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Just three with banana, yeah?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45No matter how you drive, if you get off the front
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and you're a woman, or when I was pregnant, they were like, "Aah!"
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I have had people not get on who've seen me at the front.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It's unbelievable.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57And their wives will come up to me later and go, "I just left him!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00"I just left him there and he had to get the next one!"
0:04:01 > 0:04:02What does this button do?!
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Eject fuel! Thankfully, there isn't that button here!
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Now we're coming into Edinburgh.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Yay! Alive!
0:04:18 > 0:04:19SHE LAUGHS
0:04:19 > 0:04:21How are you doing?
0:04:21 > 0:04:22- Just going there?- Aye.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Edinburgh Waverley station.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Ronnie Park has been helping passengers
0:04:33 > 0:04:35here for the past 30 years.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Next one down. First coach.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44It's Friday afternoon, and Ronnie's busiest time of the week,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47when both commuters and tourists flood the station.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Most of them can't speak English,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53but you can help them with sign language, anything,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55or take them across to the platform, tell them what they need.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Universal language, "The bar's round that way!"
0:04:58 > 0:05:00That's it!
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Most people, they're going on holiday or visiting their relatives.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It's up to me to get them on the right place on the train and smile.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Let's see what you've got here. Yeah, first class, yeah, just here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Yes? First class.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15That's fine.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16- Heavy.- That's fine.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- You want something? - No, no, that's fine.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- You want your bag? - One of my three suitcases.- Fine.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28No problem.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I think when they come into the station, they've been hit
0:05:31 > 0:05:35by the Men In Black zapper, and they have no memory at all, some of them.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Honestly, "Where's my train?" "Well, where are you going?"
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And then you've got the ones that come running along,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44just missed their train, and they've got their Burger King bag.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48That burger's just cost you £100 to get to London, pal.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Be there on time!
0:05:52 > 0:05:54HE BLOWS THE WHISTLE
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Train doors are locked, sir.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Over on the other side of the country,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05on the beautiful West Highland Route,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07it couldn't be more different.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11This single-track railway weaves past Ben Nevis
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and into the mountain ranges beyond, before coming to an end at the sea.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Many of its remote stations are request stops,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24with trains only stopping if a passenger flags them down.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Beautiful, eh?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35This is a lovely part of the world, eh?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I've never, ever liked working inside, you know?
0:06:38 > 0:06:411315 - one, three, one, five - over.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45With just three services a day, engineer Ian McKinnon has plenty
0:06:45 > 0:06:49of time between trains to carry out his weekly inspection of the track.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Right. And we're off.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Throw this away.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Right, what we've got here is a dead hide, and what we usually do,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10if we've got time, drag it off...
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It'll probably stink, but anyway...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17It's stuck to the thing there.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21See, oh, it's all stuck. So I'll just throw it off, clear the line.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27And probably come back maybe later on when we've got time and bury it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30And that's basically it.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34In the meantime, it's clear of the track there.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It's horrible, stinking.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40It's probably been there for a week, cos we walk this once a week...
0:07:41 > 0:07:44..and it's probably been there all week.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's quite a horrible job, but you've got to do it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49You ever tried venison?
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Very strong.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Compared to ordinary meat it's very strong, yeah. But lovely.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09That's what they call a bothy.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It's just basically a wee shed for you to shelter from the storms.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21This is probably one of the oldest ones we've got around here.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Luxury, aye!
0:08:22 > 0:08:23HE LAUGHS
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Keeps you dry. Sit here and have your tea.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30You look forward to seeing one of them
0:08:30 > 0:08:33when you've been walking for about eight mile! HE LAUGHS
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Yeah!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Much of the 2,700 miles of track across Scotland
0:08:41 > 0:08:44cuts through the Highlands.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46A beautiful but punishing landscape to run trains on.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Over on the Inverness route, the steep gradients
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and often icy temperatures make braking dangerously unpredictable.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Right. Cheers, mate.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- That's us got permission to start, gentlemen.- OK, it's all systems go!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11HE LAUGHS
0:09:12 > 0:09:15As in the rest of the UK, Network Rail is
0:09:15 > 0:09:17responsible for the upkeep of the tracks.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22This local engineering team work the night shift on a Kubota,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25a specially-converted farm vehicle
0:09:25 > 0:09:29that spreads a gloopy solution onto the rails to improve adhesion.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's just pretty much liquid sand.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Flick the on switch, starts running,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and then it gets pumped out into these pipes, out the pipes...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47..onto the track. It gets pretty cold!
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Minus four, but that's standing still!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So we're jumping in that, driving at 20 mile an hour.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Obviously, the further we go up, it gets colder again,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59and you boys will see that for yourselves.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00It's your hands that get it worst.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Every night during winter months, Michael and Alec drive
0:10:11 > 0:10:14the Kubota through the highest part of the route to Inverness.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16It's cold up here.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22It takes them two hours to cover just 20 miles of track.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Still trying to climb at the moment, that's why we're going so slow.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29The top of the rails is just covered in ice.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The wheels are just spinning. It's quite hard to get traction.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38I suppose this is why we're here,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41so the trains don't have the same problem.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48I've got a wife,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50I've got two young kids as well.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53So there's a lot of unsociable hours.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55At the end of the day, this sort of thing keeps me in a job,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57so I'm happy enough to do it.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It can be really tough, aye.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04It becomes a way of life. I've been doing night shifts since 1995.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I'm allergic to daylight!
0:11:07 > 0:11:08HE LAUGHS
0:11:14 > 0:11:17That's us at the top of the hill there.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19There's your sign there, Druimuachdar Pass.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23The highest point on the rail network, there you go.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24There's a wee sign for you!
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I can think of worse places to be!
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I can think of better as well!
0:11:31 > 0:11:32THEY LAUGH
0:11:32 > 0:11:34As easy as that.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37The railways keep running.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Glasgow's suburban rail network is the UK's largest outside London.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53And Glasgow Central is Scotland's busiest station.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Have you got seat reservations? - No, there was no reservation.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05As well as being ScotRail's hub for the commuter belt between Glasgow
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and Edinburgh, this is the starting point for Virgin Trains,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12travelling from Scotland into England on the West Coast Main Line.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13It's quarter past.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18A peak-time return ticket from here to London can cost more than £300.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Sir, are you aware of the problems?
0:12:22 > 0:12:24You're not going to be there for six.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30Today, there are severe delays for anyone catching a train south.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33A freight train went through the overhead wires.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Between here and Carlisle, faulty overhead lines have come down,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and no services can run while they're being fixed.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Are you OK, ladies?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- We need to get to Carlisle. - He's just told us we can't.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'Here is a passenger announcement.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'Due to severe disruptions on the West Coast Main Line, replacement
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'bus services are operating from Gordon Street to Carlisle.'
0:12:57 > 0:13:01We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Anyone for Carlisle? Carlisle?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Replacement coach services are being laid on by Virgin
0:13:08 > 0:13:10to get passengers to Carlisle.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14It means adding an extra hour to journey times.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- How long will it take to Carlisle? - About two hours, yeah.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I'm going to miss my train. I'm going to miss the one at Preston as well.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I'm not going to get home till 10pm.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Just got some water for the customers in case they're thirsty,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34cos obviously there'll be no on-board shop.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35It's the least we can do, really.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38A lot of them want a whisky, they don't want water.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39SHE CHUCKLES
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I've had a request for that a few times this morning.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Marie Claire usually works in the ticket office.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Today, she's been drafted in to help with the delayed passengers.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51There's a bottle of water for you, OK?
0:13:51 > 0:13:53The overhead lines are all down.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57A freight train has brought down the overhead lines causing chaos,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59unfortunately. Sorry, I'll just get by.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02You'll get your connection time when you arrive into Carlisle
0:14:02 > 0:14:06and they'll let you know, sir, OK? There you go, there's a bottle of water.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09This is the bus for Carlisle, that's the queue for it there.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- You're kidding me on. - Oh, no, we won't get on it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15We've done this journey since my grandchildren were born and at
0:14:15 > 0:14:19the end of the day, what I've been told today is utter, utter rubbish.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21We have more buses en route.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24"En route" is no good to me, I don't want to be getting into Wales
0:14:24 > 0:14:29only to find I'm stuck till four in the morning till the next train.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31We'll just get the step lowered for you.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'I used to work in the police as a 999 operator'
0:14:34 > 0:14:37so it's nice to speak to people face-to-face.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Then, other times, it's not nice. You can't hang up on them!
0:14:43 > 0:14:44Not that you hang up anyway.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47You've guaranteed that I'm going to be getting home
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- and won't get stranded. - Yeah, I have guaranteed that.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52So what do I do when I get stranded, then?
0:14:52 > 0:14:54If the worse comes to the worst, we'll get you a taxi.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- Thank you, pleased to hear it. Thank you.- No problem.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58You don't take it personally,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01otherwise you'd get upset an awful lot of times.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04You don't have time to take yourself off to a quiet corner
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and scream, you just get on with it.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Just to let you know that the 14.40 replacement bus does not have a
0:15:10 > 0:15:13toilet on the bus. The driver's asking, do you want them
0:15:13 > 0:15:17to do a ten-minute stop at Abington services, over?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18- RADIO:- We've not had this problem before.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Roger, OK, I'll pass that on.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23If you want to maybe shout out to them when it's coming up that
0:15:23 > 0:15:25if anybody needs the toilet, you'll do a specific stop,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27but he's saying, "Not really."
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Do you want a bottle of water? - I've got one, thanks.- OK.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Do you want a bottle of water?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- Would you like some water?- You can shove your water up your arse.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Just telling me to put the water where I don't want to put it.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Or maybe he knows there's no toilet.
0:15:49 > 0:15:5150 miles down the track,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Network Rail's engineering teams are trying to fix the problem.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00With northbound trains still running during the day,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02they can only do the work at night.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Obviously, it'd be a lot easier
0:16:09 > 0:16:13if it was better weather conditions, but unfortunately,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16because we're in Scotland we get this most of the time.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19All year round. No summer in Scotland!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Up to the top pole again, Andy.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28A mile of overhead cables needs replacing, in high-speed winds.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33All these cantilevers have got to be replaced with new cantilevers,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37so we're just taking all the stuff off the old ones,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40putting new insulators on, new tubes.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And then we'll put it up and tie it back ready for the wire.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Danny's damaged that rope up there, haven't you?
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Make sure that's not flapping about, David. Tuck it in some way.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Whoa.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- SNAP - Whoa!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Ooh. Fucking hell!
0:16:57 > 0:17:01This is one of the biggest we've had in a good seven or eight years.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04It's a big one.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07As it was their faulty cables that caused the delays,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Network Rail is facing big fines.
0:17:11 > 0:17:18It's a lot of money. They're talking millions of pounds.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That'll do.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23With the supports that hold the cables also damaged,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25it looks like it'll be several more days
0:17:25 > 0:17:28before the lines are back in full working order.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39At Edinburgh Waverley, services are running normally.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43We were supposed to be catching that
0:17:43 > 0:17:48and then changing at Newcastle for Sheffield, so where do I have to go?
0:17:48 > 0:17:49Can you tell me?
0:17:49 > 0:17:516 to 14, fitters.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52For the calm to continue,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Ronnie and the team have to meet exacting deadlines.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Could you come down to Platform Two, coach Echo with your plunger, please?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04- RADIO:- OK, I'll be there now. - Cheers.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06SPLASHING
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Sorted!
0:18:07 > 0:18:09HE LAUGHS
0:18:14 > 0:18:16The cleaning team have just ten minutes to work through
0:18:16 > 0:18:21the train and replace the water before its onward journey.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23HE WHISTLES "RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES" BY RICHARD WAGNER
0:18:23 > 0:18:27We have to go quick on the next one, I don't know if it's arrived yet.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33You can see already, people on the platform, waiting for the train.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Parisian Patrice Lechsner joined the team 18 months ago.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Hello, hello. How are you? You look fine like that.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44- Hello!- Oh, yes.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- Claire's hen party, wow! - Don't you worry.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Very nice. Lovely blonde. Hee-haw, hee-haw!
0:18:53 > 0:18:56They seem to have fun already.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57HE CHUCKLES
0:18:59 > 0:19:02My God! They like to party, yes?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06That's the proof, huh? They drink a lot in UK!
0:19:06 > 0:19:07HE LAUGHS
0:19:07 > 0:19:11And first class need, of course, particular attention.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Make sure the Union Jack is right.
0:19:16 > 0:19:22I came to Edinburgh first to improve my English, so I started a job in...
0:19:24 > 0:19:28..in the railway station and I met my wife at the station.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30My wife is working in the railway as well
0:19:30 > 0:19:35and she's not working just right now, because she's a mum now.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39There we go. Trapped in Scotland!
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I have to say when you take the French train or the TGV,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47it's superb.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Two and a half hours to cross the whole of France,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53it's like going from Edinburgh to London in, yeah...
0:19:55 > 0:20:00..two hours and a bit, when it takes four to five hours.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It's a bit miserable, but whatever the weather is,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08we have to make sure things are clean.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But it's good to go back sometimes, with some cheese and wine.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16All this is our trophies, just for one train.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Did you find your ticket?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Is it in one of the bins?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Do you know where Coach F might be?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29It's hard to say, huh? I'd like to help you, but...
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It's not worth looking. OK, thank you.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Poor guy. No chance!
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I didn't want to tell him!
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Next one.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45This is terrible, huh?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Oh...
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Some people are...
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Got a strange approach to hygiene.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I used to work for Audi in the motor trade, 60 hours a week,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59which was a lot.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02My priority just now is my family,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and now I've got plenty of time for the kids.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10First time I took that job, there was a manager who asked me,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13"Are you sure you don't want to do a few days first,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17"because it's quite a degrading job?" I was, "What?!"
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Nothing is degrading, why not?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22I feel relaxed and, well, I enjoy that for the moment.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24Money is not everything.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Excuse me.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Patrice earns just over £9 an hour for his shifts.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Smell that, son?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It's like gasoline.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Smells like victory!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Every train is a victory, you know?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Job done!
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Scotland's East Coast Main Line connects Edinburgh with Aberdeen.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02WOMEN LAUGH Thank you.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Its high-speed trains start the journey in London
0:22:05 > 0:22:08and change drivers at Newcastle before heading north.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14So this is where I come and sign on.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Driver Trudi Tate arrives at midday to start her shift.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21We used to have a train crew supervisor who would give you
0:22:21 > 0:22:24your work and tell you everything that was happening,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28but now, it's quite sad, really, we're on our own.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32We sign on with the phone, remotely, and then...
0:22:33 > 0:22:37These are anything extra that I've been given, paperwork-wise.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38This is my late notice case,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41so I've got to check here if anything new has happened.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Naughty signals, naughty drivers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So much can go wrong if you're travelling on the train into work.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53It's a poor excuse when you say, "I'm late for work because I used the train to come in!"
0:22:53 > 0:22:56You, you know, think ahead a lot of the time of the things that could go wrong.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58And we've got a lot of backup, you know?
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I've got a car, but I've got a motorbike if it doesn't start
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and I've got lots of different ways I can come in to work.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And I set off early, you know? Just so I know I'm going to get here.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09There's a few times I've got here, like, in the snow,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11two minutes before my train.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And your heart's like this, cos it's only your fault,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16you know what I mean?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Hi! Right, OK.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24This is my office.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25SHE CHUCKLES
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Yeah, it's filthy!
0:23:26 > 0:23:27SHE LAUGHS
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I think it's lovely round here.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35You don't get sick of it, because it is so nice.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39So we'll soon be coming up to Morpeth, which is the scene of
0:23:39 > 0:23:42quite a few derailments, so we have to go 50 round there.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47That's where the boss stands with a speed gun quite a lot.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Only because there is a good pub round the corner!
0:23:52 > 0:23:53HORN BLARES
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I like going fast.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01But, you know, we really have to be sensible, because if you
0:24:01 > 0:24:04speed on the railway it's going to be a disaster, isn't it, you know?
0:24:04 > 0:24:05You can't...
0:24:05 > 0:24:08You mustn't do it. One, for the engines and, two, you know...
0:24:08 > 0:24:10You'll end up in a field, and that's never good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13There's a lot of forms to fill in when you come off the track!
0:24:13 > 0:24:15SHE LAUGHS
0:24:16 > 0:24:19East Coast has a fleet of 43 high-speed trains,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23each one travelling up to 1,000 miles a day.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Some of the fleet are nearly 40 years old
0:24:27 > 0:24:32and, like all trains, keeping them going means regular maintenance.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35For that, they're sent to Craigentinny Depot near Edinburgh.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42They do everything here, from cleaning
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and refuelling to complete overhauls of the fleet.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47A few to do here, eh?
0:24:47 > 0:24:48I've already checked the luber.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Fraser McVeigh is in charge of one of the maintenance teams here.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56This is Scott Mackay, senior electrician
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- as you can see by the look of him. - Very senior!
0:24:58 > 0:25:01A bit older than everybody else in the shed!
0:25:01 > 0:25:02BELL RINGS
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Jason, our English ethnic friend, only Englishman in the sheds.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It's the first time you'll ever see him doing anything.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Down!
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Some of these locos are between 30 and 40 years old.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19You have one of these on each side, one pushing, one pulling,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23getting used up and down the country constantly.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Seven days a week.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29They've stood the test of time, and we're just trying
0:25:29 > 0:25:32to keep them going that bit longer.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I'm changing a fuel loading valve.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37If this valve fails,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42you have 5,000 litres of diesel pouring onto the track.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Stretchy! Come here, son! Show your face!
0:25:47 > 0:25:51You've got your light, is your light on in there?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53See him in there, working away?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55What's life like down under a train?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59It is a bit grotty, you know what I mean? And minging.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01But you just have to get on with it. Do as best you can.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05You've got oil and dirt, dead animals,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09the brake dust is the main thing, as well, brake dust.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12All modern trains have tanks to hold toilet waste,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16but on these older models, the sewage is flushed straight out.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Well, this is the waste pipe for all the toilets.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Obviously when they flush, it's coming out, it's hitting the track,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27it's going everywhere.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Toilet paper, human excrement, urine, it's just all stuck together.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34As you can see.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Human waste. If the train's going by, 125 miles an hour,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41if you're standing outside, always face away from the rolling
0:26:41 > 0:26:43traffic, because you don't want this on your face!
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Trust me.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48That's why you wear gloves.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52HORN BLARES
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Craigentinny's latest recruit is 20-year-old apprentice Toni.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's just a bit slow in opening.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I lost all my nails within a week of starting here, and I had lovely nails.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07I used to be able to paint them, French manicured them and all that.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10No, not any more. I don't have any more.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12And I can't have nail polish on them cos it chips.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Is it just coming off with them two bolts, aye?
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Them two pushing into there.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Three weeks after starting here there was a big coolant leak,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and I got blue coolant all over my hair.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24And I was blonde at the time. So you can imagine.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I had green hair for about a week afterwards, but...
0:27:28 > 0:27:30It's all part of the job, I guess!
0:27:34 > 0:27:37You can have a couple of days off, Christmas and Boxing Day.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Well, the trains do, we don't.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41We do our utmost to try and keep these things on the track
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and keep everything running and everybody happy.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Mrs Jones and all the rest, travelling on the trains,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51sitting in the quiet coach or in the first-class, eating and drinking,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54with your Wi-Fi on.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56This is the real railway.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06At Glasgow Central, Virgin passengers are enduring
0:28:06 > 0:28:09their third day of bus replacement services.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12The next replacement bus service is outside.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15It's waiting, it's not going to leave until it's full.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Bad weather has hampered repairs to the damaged overhead cables
0:28:18 > 0:28:20on the West Coast Main Line.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22CHILD CRIES
0:28:22 > 0:28:25They've been warned because they've seen the news,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29it's been over the news, and they've had travel updates on the internet
0:28:29 > 0:28:32as well that the line is down, so they'll be expecting it, I would presume.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34There you go.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37I don't know exactly what time you're going to get into Carlisle at.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- Do we get a refund of any sort? - Certainly, you know?
0:28:39 > 0:28:43There'll be a claims compensation form that you'll be able to fill out.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- We're getting there, we're getting there. As always. - HE CHUCKLES
0:28:47 > 0:28:52So far, the problems have led to 120 cancelled trains, and the
0:28:52 > 0:28:56knock-on effect has caused delays to services as far south as Bristol.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57HORN BLARES
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Here's our baby!
0:29:00 > 0:29:04With preparation works complete, a specialist team and train
0:29:04 > 0:29:08have arrived to finally install the new overhead cables.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10One of only two such trains in the UK,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13it's had to travel up from the south of England.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18We're the OCR team, we're rapid response for all major incidents
0:29:18 > 0:29:22from Glasgow to Euston, basically.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27We are the experts, yeah.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Operated by a crew of 30 technicians,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34it can replace 1,500 metres of wire every four hours.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41We are going to replace the wire that carries the electric using the train.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Get on, get it done, get home safe.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- Who's in charge here?- Me.- Me.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51THEY LAUGH
0:29:53 > 0:29:56We don't know ourselves who's in charge!
0:29:56 > 0:29:58They put me with him, cos he's old,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- so I have to do all the work, and he just stands there.- Hey!
0:30:01 > 0:30:03You can tell he's a bit senile!
0:30:03 > 0:30:05THEY LAUGH
0:30:06 > 0:30:10There's no room for error when installing this heavy copper wire,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12which has to be hung at full tension.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17If that comes off, it could take your head off.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20If it does, it will definitely kill you.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Just got to watch what you're doing.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Before I did this I worked down t'pit for 20 year, 21 years,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30and I've been in this job now for about 12 year.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36No comparison to working down pit to this job. It were horrible down t'pit.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Working in your underpants in 110 degrees?!
0:30:42 > 0:30:46After three nights working, 25,000 minutes of delay
0:30:46 > 0:30:50and a cost of £800,000 to Network Rail,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53the West Coast Main Line is back up and running.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02And Virgin's services from Glasgow Central return to normal.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Just go straight on. It's OK, just go on ahead through, you're fine.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06You don't need your ticket.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I'll sleep well tonight!
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Although the Scottish Government provides £700 million
0:31:13 > 0:31:17in annual subsidies, the heavy cost of structural repairs
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and maintenance to the railways is ultimately passed on to passengers
0:31:20 > 0:31:22in higher ticket fares.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Are you needing a hand here? - Yes, thank you.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37- Thank you.- Just wanted to hold my hand, eh? Cheers, now!
0:31:37 > 0:31:38Thank you.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40MEN CHEER
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Monday afternoon at Edinburgh Waverley.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- If you try Coach G for Golf, that's normally a bit quieter.- Thank you.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48Right, no problem.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Well, we went to Dundee and we asked for the...
0:31:52 > 0:31:55At East Coast Trains customer reception, Pauline Lamont
0:31:55 > 0:31:58and her colleagues deal with passenger enquiries.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00In here you get all sorts.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03I think yesterday Gavin got somebody that was covered in blood,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06they'd fallen and, you know, dripping blood everywhere.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07Thank you.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Every kind of question you want to get asked,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13down to, "Where's the nearest sex shop?"
0:32:13 > 0:32:14SHE CHUCKLES
0:32:14 > 0:32:17"What's your favourite restaurant?", you know, they want to go for something to eat.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20And you're just meant to be telling train times and platforms.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Gracias.- Bye.- Bye!
0:32:23 > 0:32:24Sometimes people are just lonely
0:32:24 > 0:32:26and they just want somebody to chat to, you know?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29So they come in here an hour before their train,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31ready to go, and then they sit and chat.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35My wife's just left her bag on the 10.27 to Aberdeen.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36So you said it was on the overhead, sir?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- I believe it was on the overhead, yes.- Right, no problem.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Hello, there, Donna.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43I've got a gentleman that's just appeared in my office.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47His wife's left her Radley bag in Coach B for Bravo.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Are you OK? Can you maybe help Gavin?
0:32:50 > 0:32:52While Pauline tracks down another lost bag, her colleague
0:32:52 > 0:32:57Norrie McLeod looks out for his more vulnerable passengers.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01We'll get you seated in first, then we'll get your luggage and everything else on.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- Oh, thanks.- Lovely job.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Take care now, bye-bye.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14But it's not just the railways that keep Norrie busy.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18He's also a priest for the Celtic Church of Scotland.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22I was ordained a priest in 19...
0:33:22 > 0:33:23Early '90s.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27I'll just put the ramp down. Two ticks.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30When I'm not working here on a weekend I'll go and take a wedding
0:33:30 > 0:33:32or a funeral or something like that.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35That's us.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38People that meet me don't... Well, if I don't say to them, they don't realise,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42cos I can swear like the rest of them.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Welcome to Edinburgh!
0:33:43 > 0:33:47MEN CHEER
0:33:47 > 0:33:49They're not going on this train, are they?
0:33:49 > 0:33:52- They're probably coming off it. - Because I've...
0:33:52 > 0:33:56I've had it with drunken men on trains.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I let it go the last time, but I won't let it go this time.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- I'll take this up for you.- Thank you. Very helpful.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05They've got it? That's brilliant. Right, bye.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- Right, the guard will be able to give it to you.- Okey-dokey.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Thank you very much. - That's fine, thanks very much. Bye.
0:34:12 > 0:34:18- Thank you very, very much.- Not a problem.- See you again.- Cheers!
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- This is an education, sitting here! - I know, eh?- Very, very good.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26- You can learn all sorts!- I think that was marvellous. What a relief!
0:34:27 > 0:34:31TANNOY: '.. for the 15.08 First ScotRail service...'
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Monday evening rush hour is just beginning.
0:34:41 > 0:34:42In East Coast's control room,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46they're keeping a close eye on events south of the border.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49We've got overhead line problems at Durham, which delayed services.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52We had a broken rail at Newark Northgate,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55which has delayed services by up to two and half hours,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59so our rush hour's going to be affected. We'll be very, very busy.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01We can handle one thing that goes wrong.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05When two things go wrong, that's when we get the pile-up of passengers.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11If you could step in a touch, please.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17We've been on that train for hours.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- Is that to get the money back?- Yes. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29I only wanted for the aliens to come down and abduct us
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- off that train... - HE LAUGHS
0:35:32 > 0:35:34and it would have been complete!
0:35:36 > 0:35:38It will come up. We don't know before, unfortunately.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41With it being late, it can go into any platform.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44There's two choices, you can either try and get on the five o'clock...
0:35:44 > 0:35:48- We'll have to, we're meeting people at the other end. - ..or the 5.30 as well.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Just trying to explain to people what the problems are
0:35:51 > 0:35:52and the next step
0:35:52 > 0:35:55is to try and get people onto the next available trains.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I shall go on to the five, I assume, with this one?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- That is the next available, yeah. - OK, and this isn't valid any more?
0:36:05 > 0:36:07What do I do? Scramble for a first-class seat?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Your ticket's still valid but your seat reservation isn't.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13So, yeah, you're correct in saying that you will need to try
0:36:13 > 0:36:14and find an unreserved seat.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17Guys, could you do me a favour
0:36:17 > 0:36:20- and just wait on the platform for an extra few moments?- All right.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24- Once we get most of this mess cleaned up then we'll get back on. - OK, no problem.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27The decision to not put reservations on it
0:36:27 > 0:36:30is usually made by Control in advance...
0:36:30 > 0:36:32just within regards to time constraints.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36You have to deal with the inevitable fact of,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38"You're sitting in my seat" and so on,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41which is interesting to a point,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43because you never want to tell people,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46"You don't have a seat any more," it's never a nice thing to say.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50I'd hate to be the guard on a service like this cos he's going to get it in the ear.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Right, guys. Jump on.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Right, buddy. Cheers. It's getting worse and it's getting worse.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Our 4.33 service is running just under three hours late
0:37:01 > 0:37:03due to a passenger taking a heart attack on the train.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05They were brought back to life three times
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and I've been reported they were taken off the train alive
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and they're on their way to hospital at the moment.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Because of the delays we've got a five o'clock train which we won't run today.
0:37:15 > 0:37:16Everyone else in.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Just get the elbows out! That'll sort them!
0:37:21 > 0:37:25I was on the 1700 to Lincoln, which you have cancelled.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Can you give me a revised time?
0:37:28 > 0:37:30I most certainly can, sir.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34- You OK there?- Would you give me a seat on the next train to London?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36I can't reserve you a seat, sir, no.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39It's too late to reserve you a seat on the next one.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43- Wait a minute. I want a seat. I'm 86 years old.- Uh-huh.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46I don't want to be standing to go to London.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48What I'm saying to you is I can't reserve you a seat,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50whether you're 86 or...
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I don't understand why. You must have...
0:37:52 > 0:37:55No, we don't, we don't cos the reservations have closed now.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59The problem that we do have,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01we've got all the passengers for the five o'clock train,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04most of them will be getting onto the half past five,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07so we're going to have two loads trying to get onto the one train
0:38:07 > 0:38:09and it's already half full already.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11There you go!
0:38:11 > 0:38:14There's a lot of space in the other coach down there,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16if you just walk through there there's plenty of space.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Must be deaf.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23As they say, there are no problems, only challenges!
0:38:23 > 0:38:25- RADIO:- 'OK, thanks for that.'
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Three hours away in Aberdeen, Eddie Barr's train is still on time.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Just the first over there.
0:38:39 > 0:38:45One bike for Edinburgh. Bike gets its own ticket. No concessions!
0:38:45 > 0:38:48He's been working as a train guard for over four years
0:38:48 > 0:38:53and tonight he's working the six o'clock back to Edinburgh.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Thanks very much, cheers now. Nice, mate. Cheers. All right, guys.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01How are we all doing? Home time, home time! Ah, good lads!
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Tickets there, my friends.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Tickets. Tickets.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09- What?- Tickets.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11That's an airline ticket. Oh, Amsterdam!
0:39:11 > 0:39:13- You just come back from Amsterdam? - Look, mate...
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Excuse me.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18What's that?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Is this going to fucking Edinburgh an' all?
0:39:22 > 0:39:23It's going to Edinburgh, yes.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- I'm going to fucking party at Edinburgh, OK?- Uh-huh.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- I'm inviting you to come with me. - No, honestly, my friend.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- I appreciate the invite, know what I mean?- OK, OK.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- Come with me.- Right. OK, mate. OK, OK. Take it easy, eh?
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It's all good, it's all good. Just come with me. We'll get you a wee seat.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- Right, OK. Let me buy you a drink. - No, listen. Sit down.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- Where's the bar? - Sit down. Right, listen.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48There's no more drink for you.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50I want to get you back to your home safely, OK?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- Mind if we go and have a beer in the...- No, no beers.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55You've had enough, my friend.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Ah, the joys!
0:39:57 > 0:40:01HE LAUGHS I'll be keeping an eye on him!
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Jeff, there's a tall guy, kind of black jacket...
0:40:04 > 0:40:07You'll know him because he's pretty drunk and he's full of the crack.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- Tall, kind of thin, bigger than me. Bald head. OK?- OK, nae bother.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15- No drink for him. I'll probably be about, Jeff, anyway, OK?- Nae bother.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- Enough. Enough, right? Enough. - Want a drink?
0:40:20 > 0:40:22No, I don't want a drink.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I'm phoning our control to ask the police to come to Dundee
0:40:25 > 0:40:28to have a word with him because I can't get any sense out of him.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34Is that you, Steph? I've got a gentleman who is pretty intoxicated.
0:40:34 > 0:40:35Hello, gorgeous.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39So I would like to get the BTP at Dundee Station,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42cos I'm not too happy to go further than Dundee.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Thank you very much. Bye!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52So all we need to do now is keep our fingers crossed that they come!
0:40:52 > 0:40:53HE LAUGHS
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I knew it was all going too smoothly!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03First class this end, standard class right around the corner.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08At Edinburgh Waverley, it's four hours
0:41:08 > 0:41:10since train delays hit the evening rush hour,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and the backlog of passengers has finally started to clear.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19We're back on track, as long as nothing else happens.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Still got a few running, John. Hurry up, in that door there.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25WHISTLE BLOWS
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Doors are locked.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30We're trying to get them to stop running. It's been raining today.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Slippy here. If they go down they could just roll.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Forms to fill out, you know!
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Eddie Barr's train has arrived in Dundee,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49where the British Transport Police are due to deal with his drunken passenger.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55- Yo?- David, we are just waiting for the police to come...for you!
0:41:55 > 0:41:56EDDIE LAUGHS
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Erratic driving!
0:41:58 > 0:42:02No, we've got a very intoxicated passenger, unfortunately.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- OK, no problem, Eddie. - Thanks, Davie.- Cheers.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- They are fighting over there.- Sorry?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- They're fighting over there at the back?- They're fighting?
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- Yeah, I think so. - There's been fighting.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19What's happened?
0:42:19 > 0:42:22There was a drunk guy, wouldnae go away, and he slapped me.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26So I tried to restrain him, he banged his head against the wall...
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- He's off.- Where did he go? - He's away, he's off.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- He's definitely off? - He's definitely off.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Are we OK to go?
0:42:36 > 0:42:38WHISTLE BLOWS
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Thanks now.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Thanks, mate. Cheers.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Never a dull moment, eh? Cheers, mate.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58With the state he's in and obviously the description that's been given,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I can't see him lasting long in Dundee
0:43:00 > 0:43:02without getting into more trouble,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04without getting apprehended or getting a good doin'.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07One of those three or probably a combination of all of them!
0:43:07 > 0:43:08HE LAUGHS
0:43:16 > 0:43:18On the West Highland Line,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Iain MacKinnon is out inspecting his 70 miles of track.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27There you are, there's a dead... Well, WAS a dead stag.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31It has been eaten. It's been eaten by the crows.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37As well as keeping the line clear,
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Iain tightens any parts that have worked themselves loose.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45On busy modern railways, sections of track are welded together
0:43:45 > 0:43:50but here they're still joined by metal plates and bolts.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52The spanner's no big enough for it.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54It's just running all the time, it's a running bolt.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59What I do is, I keep a note of... you know, when the bolts are bad.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03So these wooden keys that keep coming out,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06you've got to make sure that they do stay in place
0:44:06 > 0:44:08because it's a check rail for the train
0:44:08 > 0:44:12and that's what basically keeps the train on the track.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Quite often you get... six or seven out at a time.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23I'm going to tell you a story about this house here. It's a sad story.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27There was an old couple staying in that house,
0:44:27 > 0:44:32and one day, the wee girl ran out the door
0:44:32 > 0:44:35and ran across and the train came around the corner and killed her.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41That's before I started on the railway. Many, many years ago.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46I actually know the lady... the lady's grandmother.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50The husband closed up for years.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58Nearly 300 people are killed on British railways every year.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06At Craigentinny Depot near Edinburgh, a high-speed train
0:45:06 > 0:45:09that's been involved in a fatality has been brought in to be fixed.
0:45:12 > 0:45:18As you can see, the damage that's happened is...quite extensive.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23This one is...major.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It was totally destroyed, the front end.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28Nothing could be really saved.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33To build this back up and machine the door out
0:45:33 > 0:45:37and getting things ready to try to put it back into service,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40we're talking maybe a three- to four-day turnaround.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44All the time they're off is money.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46So they need them back in service ASAP.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53I've done a few. It's still not a nice thing.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57The first thing that normally hits you is you get a smell.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02It's just not a nice thing. Not nice at all.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10After every fatality, trains are thoroughly washed and disinfected.
0:46:12 > 0:46:18Found a human foot. Actually, it turned out to be a lady's foot.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22It was stuck in between the fuel pipe down here.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28I found the bottom half of the jaw with the eye socket kind of...
0:46:30 > 0:46:31Horrible.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34But you just bag it, tag it and then send it away,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36and it goes to the lab or wherever.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It's not very nice, but it's part of my job.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Not knowing who they are's obviously a lot easier.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53There's family out there, you know,
0:46:53 > 0:46:56they've lost their loved one or whatever else.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Most fatalities on the railways are suicides.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14Two and a half years ago, this woman decided to jump in front of me.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20I was doing 125... and by the time you've looked at it
0:47:20 > 0:47:24and focused on it, you've hit... You can't do a thing about it.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29I burst into tears before she even left the platform, because I knew
0:47:29 > 0:47:32she wouldn't stop, I couldn't stop, I was going to have to witness it.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36You keep looking cos you think, "They'll move, they'll stop. They'll change their mind."
0:47:36 > 0:47:38But they're going... She was running too fast towards me to stop.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42So I thought, "Oh, no. I'm going to have to watch this."
0:47:42 > 0:47:45It was so surreal, I mean, I thought I was watching it on telly.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48I couldn't believe my eyes, and the next minute, of course,
0:47:48 > 0:47:53although you're in shock, all your emergency training's got to kick in.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57You've got to do the right thing, stop the track, let everybody know.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01Make sure you secure the train, stop the train properly. Everything.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03What a bizarre day that was.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08Thankfully I did all the things I had to do, and then had a meltdown later.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17You can't...feel guilty about it.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20And you knew that when you took the job on.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26And I'm quite relieved that it happened later on in my career
0:48:26 > 0:48:30and it didn't happen early on, because it was absolutely horrendous
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and very traumatic for everybody concerned.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35They're just not... They're not in, are they?
0:48:35 > 0:48:37They're not thinking at all.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39But it definitely changed me, definitely.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Scotland's landscape has made it an ideal destination
0:48:56 > 0:48:59for passengers who want to experience train travel
0:48:59 > 0:49:00from a bygone era.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Every year, private charter trains are squeezed onto the network
0:49:05 > 0:49:09around regular passenger services.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11WHISTLE BLOWS
0:49:13 > 0:49:17Tonight, the restored Orient-Express Northern Belle,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19run by a private company,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22is making one of its luxury round trips from Edinburgh Waverley.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26- Warwick carriage. Do you know your seat numbers?- Do we know them?
0:49:26 > 0:49:31119 passengers have paid £250 each
0:49:31 > 0:49:33for the experience aboard this 1930s train.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Main course - we've got chestnut-stuffed guinea fowl breast
0:49:39 > 0:49:43wrapped in pancetta with red cabbage fondue.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46PASSENGERS CHEER AND APPLAUD
0:49:47 > 0:49:50Three chicken, one veg, one bass, one normal.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52You get used to everything
0:49:52 > 0:49:57cos if I cook at home I lean against the side and I sway while I cook.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59It's just something that you do!
0:49:59 > 0:50:02This is a beetroot-cured salmon gravadlax...
0:50:02 > 0:50:05During the four-hour round trip, 34 crew serve up
0:50:05 > 0:50:10a kilogram of caviar and 150 bottles of champagne.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13If you wait about three seconds, though. One, two, three.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14Check again.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16LAUGHTER
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Thanks very much, ladies. Enjoy your dinner tonight.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21Thank you very much.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24This is better than a five-star restaurant.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27We're hoping there's a snowfall
0:50:27 > 0:50:32and we're staying on for a few hours. The later, the better.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37It's a rare passenger that wishes they were delayed.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45- Mind your step.- Thank you.- Thank you now.- Thanks very much.- Thanks. Bye.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48- Thank you.- Thanks very much. - Thanks now. Bye.
0:50:50 > 0:50:55Every night, Scotland's track teams are out working on some part of the network
0:50:55 > 0:50:59on a rolling programme of repairs to track and infrastructure.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03It's costly but necessary, just to keep the lines up and running.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Tonight, Edinburgh's Haymarket tunnels have been closed
0:51:09 > 0:51:14so they can replace the worn-out rail on this busy commuter route to Glasgow.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17This is one of the most important lines.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21This is for the trains going right through to Glasgow and that.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25If anything happens on here, it's a lot of money for delays, you know what I mean?
0:51:28 > 0:51:31The team has just six hours to lay 300 feet of track
0:51:31 > 0:51:35that's been eroded by damp in these Victorian tunnels.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38It can be quite... Quite demanding.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42The Network Rail team have to complete this job
0:51:42 > 0:51:45before the first train runs through at 9am.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50A small army of contractors has also been drafted in to meet that deadline.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55From the minute you get to the depot to the minute you go home to your family, it's go, go, go.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Unfortunately, that's the railway for you.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Any job in a tunnel, basically, is a nightmare.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09It's not the cleanest environment you want to be working in. A wee bit of...
0:52:09 > 0:52:14muck as in...human waste, I'd say.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18That's what it is. Human dirt that's on the track there.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20You don't know what you're touching.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29While your friends are out on a Saturday night having a drink... "Do you want to come out?"
0:52:29 > 0:52:31"No. I can't. I'm working."
0:52:31 > 0:52:36Unfortunately, this is when the majority of work's happening, the weekend.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Weekends and night shifts. You're just a vampire.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Just in time for the Twilight season, eh?
0:52:42 > 0:52:43HE LAUGHS
0:52:50 > 0:52:55They're all getting drunk and we're in here working away.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I know where I'd rather be.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Can't do it during the day. The trains have to run.
0:53:01 > 0:53:06So you can only do it when they've stopped shunting and they've closed the tracks down.
0:53:08 > 0:53:09Always smiling.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14As long as everyone makes it home to their family in the morning, that's what it's all about.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23The contractor workers have been booked until seven,
0:53:23 > 0:53:28but with 15 tonnes of rail to replace, it may not be enough time.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31I think there's been a bit of a breakdown in communications.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34As you can see, the job's not completed yet.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Obviously, we need all hands on deck to get this job finished.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40It's just before the contractors are due to finish.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43But it's clear to team leader John Morgan,
0:53:43 > 0:53:47- his bosses need to agree to keep them on longer. - I don't think they'll all stay on.
0:53:47 > 0:53:54We need all hands on deck here. This is getting a wee bit hectic now.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Keeping them on will be costly.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00So, while John waits for a decision, the team cracks on with the work.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18Cheers. Cheers.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25Finally, John's bosses agree to keep the contractors on for an extra hour and a half.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29Got the rest of the guys till half-past eight so we're all here till the death.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Hopefully it goes a wee bit smoother now.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35With the new rail section secured in place,
0:54:35 > 0:54:39the last part of the job is to weld them together...
0:54:39 > 0:54:43at a temperature of 3,000 degrees Celsius.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47When it's near water, it can't be put out.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49It says water and fire.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53I've not had an accident. Touch wood it stays that way.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54HE CHUCKLES
0:54:56 > 0:54:59BELLS PEAL
0:55:04 > 0:55:08After this, it'll be home. Get the head down for a while,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12then the football this afternoon. Then back out night shift Monday night.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15That's me. Rest up for Monday!
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- Fresh air.- Great to get out in the fresh air.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Glad that's over.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37By 9am, Edinburgh's Haymarket tunnels are back open for business...
0:55:39 > 0:55:43..ready for another day on the Scottish railways.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54You've not got a reservation from Glasgow at a particular time,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56so you should have got the earlier train from Glasgow to get here.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58How am I supposed to know that?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- You have to have a reservation for the bicycle.- Oh, really?- Yes.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03- Do you pay for that?- No, it's free.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05But you have to go to the ticket office for it.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10- CAMERAMAN: Do you quite enjoy this? - Love it. Love it!
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Bolt missing there, so I've got to take note of that.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33HE WHISTLES
0:56:35 > 0:56:38I never spoke English till I was about 12 years of age.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40I was brought up...
0:56:40 > 0:56:44The school we were at where I was brought up,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46it was all Gaelic.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49'S e deogh obair ma tha anns... a railway.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53- I don't know what the Gaelic is for railway. - HE CHUCKLES
0:56:53 > 0:56:57- CAMERAMAN: What does that mean? - It means, "It's a good job for the railway."
0:56:57 > 0:56:58Er...
0:56:58 > 0:57:01De an uair a tha sinn gun dol bidh ann an Mallaig?
0:57:01 > 0:57:04What time are we going to be in Mallaig?
0:57:06 > 0:57:11Ca a bheil an treana? A bheil e anmoch a rithist? Where's the train? Is it late again?
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Tha e snog. Tha gu math...
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Tha breagha...
0:57:18 > 0:57:21gun faigh a Lochailort.
0:57:21 > 0:57:22'S e snog a th'ann.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28- What does that mean?- It is a beautiful place and it's nice to walk.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30HE CHUCKLES