0:00:01 > 0:00:02Three British workers -
0:00:02 > 0:00:04a train driver,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07a bin man,
0:00:07 > 0:00:08and a fisherman.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11They've all accepted the challenge
0:00:11 > 0:00:15to do their job in some of the toughest conditions on the planet.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19How safe is it to go through the breakers in the boat?
0:00:19 > 0:00:21If I said it was tough before,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24you could probably times that by 100.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I'm so upset at what goes on here.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I'd like to go and knock them out, to tell the truth.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Simon Davies is leaving his home
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and his job as a train driver
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to work in Peru
0:00:35 > 0:00:38on one of the highest and most dangerous railways on Earth.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43He'll have just ten days to learn the ropes,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47living and working with the world's toughest train drivers.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50What's in it?
0:00:50 > 0:00:53I don't suppose they do jam and toast here either, do they?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57In the high Andes, he encounters a mining community devastated by pollution...
0:00:59 > 0:01:03..before taking his life in his hands driving a 2,000 tonne train
0:01:03 > 0:01:05down the steepest railway in the world.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09I'm just sort of figuring out which brakes are which.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41It's not a case of just passing a test and jumping in a train
0:01:41 > 0:01:42and driving off.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Simon Davies drives the Manchester to London Pendolino,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49one of Britain's fastest trains.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53I've got 450 people, passengers, sat behind me, you know,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and it's my job to get them from A to B safely.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Pendolino is a, you know, very advanced train.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09It's a driver's job to carry out a pre-journey preparation,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13much like a pilot checks a plane before it takes off.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Driving the Pendolino puts Simon amongst the elite
0:02:26 > 0:02:28of British train drivers.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32He has to constantly monitor the train's complex computer systems,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36and the trackside signals, while travelling at up to 125mph.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40If you weren't on the ball for, say, only a few seconds,
0:02:40 > 0:02:41something could happen.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45You could miss a signal, you know, anything like that,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48so you have got to be concentrating 100% all the time.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53If there's the slightest hint that safety's going to be compromised,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55you know, well, the risk isn't taken.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Simon lives in Derbyshire, just outside Manchester,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09with his wife, Joanna, three children and nine chickens.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Well, we've had chickens now for quite a few years.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We hatched a few chicks out, you know, a couple of week ago.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I just think it's nice for the kids to see stuff like that.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21In a few days' time, he'll leave all this behind
0:03:21 > 0:03:24to travel 6,000 miles to South America.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28SPANISH TUITION CD PLAYS
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Apply the brake.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32That's important, that one.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35In preparation, the Peruvian train company has sent over
0:03:35 > 0:03:39some key Spanish phrases that Simon needs to learn.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The only one I've been learning at the moment
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that I can remember is "para", and that's "stop".
0:03:44 > 0:03:49That's the one that I think I'll need, stop.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54I think he'll be a bit apprehensive, try not to show it,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and he'll probably just put out of his mind the fact
0:03:57 > 0:04:01that he's so far from home and has never been that far from home,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and that we're all here on our own.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05What do I know about Peru?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Er...I know the Andes mountains are there.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10I know it's South America...
0:04:12 > 0:04:16..and there's quite a lot of llamas there and they spit at you.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18That's about it!
0:04:21 > 0:04:26Peru, a country defined by the longest mountain range in the world.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The Andes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33They hold some of the richest reserves of copper, zinc,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36lead and silver on Earth.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Getting these valuable resources from the mountains to the port
0:04:40 > 0:04:42depends on an extraordinary train
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and extraordinary drivers.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52This is the Ferrocarril Central Andino,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55"The Railway Of The Central Andes".
0:04:57 > 0:05:00At heights of up to three miles above sea level,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04these train drivers work on the steepest tracks in the world.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08There are few signals, or even safety barriers.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Descending with massive loads,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14drivers struggle with overheating brakes
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and the constant risk of derailment.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Look like the Lego houses the kids have at home.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Bit nervous, I think, just because of the language barrier.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Yeah, I think it's going to be a bit awkward to start with.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I'll have to use my hands quite a lot, I think.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Yeah - happy,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40no - sad.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Gracias!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Simon will be working with Daniel Garcia, a senior train driver.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Nice to meet you.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11How long have you lived here?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Ola!
0:06:35 > 0:06:36OK!
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Ta-da!
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Wow!
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Ah, right. Can I not roll around in the dirt a bit,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55just to make it look like it's used?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Daniel has a short journey to work.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Adios!
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's time for Simon to see the train he'll be expected to drive.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:07:30 > 0:07:31C39?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Uh-huh.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Right.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- It's massive.- Yeah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Did sound quite big, but when you look at the track and everything,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43I didn't think it'd be this big.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47But, yeah, I'm a bit nervous now actually, yeah,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51because it sounds meaty as well - sounds like there's loads of power.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Yeah, we'll give it a go.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Initiation Stage One.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02HORN BLARES
0:08:04 > 0:08:07It's got a bigger horn than my train!
0:08:09 > 0:08:13To be honest, like, the view's a bit more restricted,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15because the windows are tiny.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19And it's a lot slower.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It's a long way from Simon's Pendolino.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30You can tell it's quite rickety -
0:08:30 > 0:08:34some of the sleepers look like twigs, some of them.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36You go past some parts,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39there's nothing underneath the track holding it up,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42it's just the rail going across!
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And we're just going over one of them bits of track,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48that looks like it's going to bend as you go over it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53The line begins at the port of Callao in the capital, Lima,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57before heading up into the Andes and on to the mining districts,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02ending at the city of Cerro de Pasco, 1,400 feet above sea level.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The metals and minerals carried by this train
0:09:12 > 0:09:14have brought new wealth to Peru,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and make up 60% of the country's exports.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22But this is a divided society with millions living in poverty.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Passing through one of Lima's largest slums,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35the train's regularly attacked
0:09:35 > 0:09:38by people venting frustration at growing inequality.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Daniel just said that this is where they throw stones and catapults -
0:09:46 > 0:09:48throwing stuff at the train.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51He actually said we need to keep a look out.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I think he was trying to say keep my face back from the window as well.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01There's someone having a shit up on the side of the hillside here!
0:10:06 > 0:10:10The train company's headquarters is based on the outskirts of Lima,
0:10:10 > 0:10:11at Chosica station.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16First stop, the control room.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21How do they control the trains then?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Primitive, ain't it?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39A control centre, I imagine to be controlling signals and everything,
0:10:39 > 0:10:44but it's just basically like a couple of guys sat at a couple of desks,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47with a radio controlling all the trains.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It looks more like a store room than a control centre.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Daniel's about to put Simon through his paces.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02He's beginning his training as a brequero - a brake man.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04OK.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11The brequero does the tough physical work of the running of the train -
0:11:11 > 0:11:13connecting the brakes and changing the points.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17I do everything.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I'm waiting for him to give me a carrier bag -
0:11:19 > 0:11:23a bin bag - and send me collecting rubbish or something next.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Brequeros usually work for three years
0:11:27 > 0:11:30before they can learn to drive the train.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31Simon's got just days.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Compared to my job at home, yeah, it's a lot more physical,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and it makes it doubly worse because of the altitude.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It just saps all your energy straight away.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Yeah, I thought that meant push.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I'm the only one pushing!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I'm out of breath.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Yeah, all my chest feels dead tight - it must be the air,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and the fact that I just pushed that turntable round on my own!
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Yeah, I'm sure I did.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- That one?- Si!
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Shattered.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57I'm just going straight to bed, I think.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Yeah.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Won't even have a shower, I don't think,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I'll just get up tomorrow dressed like this! Yeah.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Hello, everyone!
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Daniel's extended family all live close to the tracks.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11So this your daughter?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Hello! Hello!
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Simon. Leonardo.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Oh, Leonardo, hello!
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Is this your son? Hello, nice to meet you.
0:13:26 > 0:13:32Daniel, I've got some pictures of me in my train, sat in the cab.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38That's the cab of my train.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Wow!
0:13:39 > 0:13:41That type of train
0:13:41 > 0:13:45actually tilts as it goes round the corners to let it go faster.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Yeah, yeah, it does, yeah.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54No. Only tilts, doesn't fly.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Yeah, yeah, that's my uniform.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Ha, ha! Elegant!
0:14:10 > 0:14:12That's the first time I've heard that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14You could have said dashing!
0:14:25 > 0:14:27'I wouldn't normally admit this
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'but a lot of people that know me would just probably think
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'I'm quite confident and be able to do anything,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40'but at the moment I wouldn't dream of driving the train on my own.'
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I'm off to bed because I think we've got to be up again
0:14:45 > 0:14:47at about six in the morning.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I'm not sure about the plan tomorrow,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54but I think we're going down to the local station
0:14:54 > 0:14:56to pick up a train or something.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Next morning over breakfast,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Simon is beginning to wonder if he has the stomach for the job.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14What's...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16What's in it?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Carne.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Carne. Meat?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Carne.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It's a Latin American speciality called mondongo -
0:15:24 > 0:15:26cow's guts.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I was told to eat this because it's going to make me run faster.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I don't see how - if I eat all that and it's sat in my stomach,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41it'll all be coming back up when I start running!
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Today, Simon and his crew are heading up the mountain.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Is it? Right.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I don't suppose they do jam and toast here either, do they?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The line from Matucana to the summit
0:16:23 > 0:16:27includes the steepest stretch of railway track in the world.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30This is Simon's first glimpse
0:16:30 > 0:16:34of one of the most spectacular train journeys on Earth.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57Basically, the track is just right on the edge of the cliff,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00about four foot the other side of the track is just nothing.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04What would happen if you let the speed increase too much
0:17:04 > 0:17:06going round one of these bends?
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Ameliano, the brequero,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24understands the risk of runaway trains only too well.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53What caused that, Ameliano?
0:18:12 > 0:18:17The biggest problem's the view down there - the drop. Aah!
0:18:17 > 0:18:21This section of the line tests the drivers to their limits.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Simon will be going solo here in just a few days' time.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The way he described it was like when you treat a woman,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45I think that's what he was saying. Be soft and gentle,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47try and make a woman fall in love with you,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50instead of rough and banging it about everywhere.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56To enable the train to get up the steep gradients,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00the crew negotiate a system of switchbacks, or zigzags.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04These allow the train to criss-cross its way up and down the mountain.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11The train is so long, the driver can't see the back.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15As the brequero, it's Simon's job to tell the driver when to stop.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Uno carro.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Alto.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Then they change the points and switch tracks,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and the train reverses onto the next zigzag.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34And then, when we get a bit further up,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37we're going to zigzag again to go back again up the mountain.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42When reversing, it's vital Simon gives precise instructions,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46as all of the zigzags end up in dead ends.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The Central Andean Railway is an amazing feat of civil engineering.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- NEWSREEL:- Cameramen are used to soaring to great heights,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02but they usually go by the more modern means, aeroplane.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This time, it's a climb by train
0:20:04 > 0:20:07up the Peruvian Andes by the highest railway in the world.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10The first track was laid in 1870.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Many at the time believed such a line was simply impossible.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17The engineers had to endure freezing temperatures,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and dangerous altitude sickness.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22At nearly three miles up,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25our cameraman shot, with his camera of course,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28a llama herd browsing by a lake perched on the top of the mountain.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Daniel's just given me the altimeter,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and, at the moment,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40it's 4,650 metres, so...
0:20:42 > 0:20:44..you can tell that, you know, just breathing -
0:20:44 > 0:20:47you have to really breathe quite heavy.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48You can tell with the altitude.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52The line climbs to the same height as Montblanc,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Western Europe's highest peak. At this altitude, the air is so thin
0:20:56 > 0:21:00it affects both humans and machines.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11It keeps coming up with a warning about the high altitude.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15It's not just me that's overheating, it's the engine as well.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Just tried starting it again, but it won't start.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The massive diesel engine has stalled in the thin air.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Daniel, what happens now?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40In technical terms, I would describe this predicament as...
0:21:40 > 0:21:43HE MOUTHS
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The crew have to stay with the train.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It could be hours until help arrives to get them back down.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04The next section of the railway, and the next stage of Simon's training
0:22:04 > 0:22:09is on the other side of the highest railway tunnel in the world.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32From Galera station, the line continues along a plateau
0:22:32 > 0:22:35to the mining cities of La Oroya and Cerro de Pasco.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Eloy Galvan is going to teach Simon
0:22:40 > 0:22:42to drive the train up here on the plateau.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Let's go. Vamoose!
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Simon will meet up with Daniel again on the way back down,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09once he's practised driving with Eloy.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14This is the Altiplano -
0:23:14 > 0:23:18a vast wilderness that spans four countries.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32There have been mines up here since the time of the Incas.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39La Oroya is known as the metal capital of Peru. At its heart
0:23:39 > 0:23:41is a huge industrial lead smelter,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45which turns the ore from the mines into the valuable metal.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Eloy was saying that the mining industry's the heart of everything,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53the economy, because everything's connected to it.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01The railways, the people that make the covers for the railways,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03you know, for the wagons, everything.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Everything's connected to mining.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17La Oroya is a troubled city.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It's been classified as one of the most polluted places on Earth.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Over decades, the smelter has contaminated the environment
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and poisoned the population.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32The last few days on the train,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35all I've seen is the minerals in the wagons.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I've not seen where it comes from,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41the effect that it has on the people that live here.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47The state of the houses and the landscape,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and even the colour of the roofs, you can see, you know,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54like a silver grim deposit on top of the roofs.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58I presume that's the pollution, but...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Yeah, it has opened my eyes big time.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08A recent study found that 99% of children in the city
0:25:08 > 0:25:11had abnormally high levels of lead in their blood.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13The smelting process has released cadmium,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16manganese and arsenic into the surrounding area.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21Simon is meeting Pablo Fabien, a school caretaker
0:25:21 > 0:25:24who has brought up his family in La Oroya.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Several years ago, the Peruvian government recognised the problem.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09They insisted that the new American owners of the smelter
0:26:09 > 0:26:11clean up the operation.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16The company, Doe Run, has spent millions on decontamination,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19but they claim the government should play a bigger part in the clean-up.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24In the meantime, the smelter is closed and thousands face
0:26:24 > 0:26:27losing their livelihoods if it doesn't reopen.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32With so many jobs in the balance,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37Pablo's vocal campaign against the pollution has made him many enemies.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45You OK?
0:27:45 > 0:27:49It takes someone really brave, like yourself and your family,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52to put up with all the abuse, you know, the attacks,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and also to sort of challenge a big company.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It's like a catch 22, you know, because the miners need their jobs,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11people need the jobs.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16At the same time, the pollution is killing the place and the people.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I'm not one that sort of shows my emotions a lot,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21but it did upset me a lot
0:28:21 > 0:28:27to see another guy, you know, crying in front of you
0:28:27 > 0:28:30because of the situation he's in.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I found that...
0:28:32 > 0:28:36you know, really hard.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49The next morning, Simon and Eloy are clocking on for work.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Ah, this is it, where they keep the trains.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11The train drivers believe
0:29:11 > 0:29:15that the Virgin of Cocharcas will keep them safe.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Shall I do this?
0:29:24 > 0:29:28We have a railway vicar,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31but we don't really do this before we take a journey, no.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32You close the doors?
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Makes you think, you know, these guys are obviously aware
0:29:36 > 0:29:41how dangerous this job is, and how dangerous the route is.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Today is Simon's first chance to take control of the train.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49Time for Eloy to pass on some more Peruvian driving tips.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11You like to take the lead with your women!
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Oh, we're up to eight.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41First time I've been in eight!
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Simon Davies from Derbyshire is finally driving
0:30:48 > 0:30:53the 3,900 horsepower train across the high Andes.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01He's showing me his style of driving now,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03which I like because I went to eight!
0:31:03 > 0:31:05He doesn't hang about.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Eloy only sees his family for two days each fortnight.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23This weekend he is heading home.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27This is your home. This is your home.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Eloy and his family used to live in La Oroya,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33but they were driven out by the pollution.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01It must be, obviously, worth it then, you know,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04to only see your family every two weeks,
0:32:04 > 0:32:09but the benefits of living here outweigh that because of the health.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Oh, guinea pigs.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30I've got chickens at home.
0:32:30 > 0:32:31Can I hold one?
0:32:42 > 0:32:47Oh right, are they better tasting, the black ones?
0:32:50 > 0:32:54There's another local custom that Simon has to sample up in the Andes.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57Oh, that little bit.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Do you swallow it? Er, no, no.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Do you swallow it?
0:33:09 > 0:33:10No, no!
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Too late, I've already swallowed it!
0:33:16 > 0:33:18I can see why you live out here, Eloy,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21because, you know, it seems pretty laid back,
0:33:21 > 0:33:25and we're sat here chewing coca leaves, having a smoke.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Coca leaves are the raw material of cocaine
0:33:41 > 0:33:44but up here they're chewed to relieve altitude sickness,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48as well as for a little pick-me-up before work.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50What's... Is that a weed?
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Oh, everything?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Oh, I threw that one then.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56You get that.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Every year, Eloy throws a fiesta for his family and neighbours.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24For Simon, it's his first chance to relax since he's been in Peru.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32You with him?
0:34:46 > 0:34:51It's a varied menu but Simon's sampling the liquid refreshment.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Whiskey.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54- Oh, good.- Whiskey.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55That much?
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- You can have it back!- OK.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09It's a night of pure Andean hospitality.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16I wasn't expecting the reception I got.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Everybody was really welcoming.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21In a way, you know, his family reminded me of my family,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25you know, welcoming, friendly.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31I know at one point, I sat there and wished my family were here now
0:35:31 > 0:35:33so they could join in,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and meet Eloy and his family.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I think this has been the best day I've had since I've been here.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46I think there's a leak in the roof. That was the only downside,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51but apart from that, you know, what a fantastic day.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54COCKEREL CROWS
0:35:56 > 0:36:02Next morning and it's time to head back to the railway.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06So, you won't see them again for another two weeks now?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Two weeks.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Two weeks... Dos weeks?
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Then come back here.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Simon's got just five days before he'll be driving down
0:36:26 > 0:36:29the steepest train tracks in the world.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49In the UK, train drivers take regular breaks.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Fatigue is a major cause of accidents.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57In Peru, drivers keep going until they reach their destination.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Five hours, I hope he was joking then!
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Finally, they arrive at the mining city of Cerro de Pasco.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35After seven hours sat there,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38my arse is killing me,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41my feet are numb from holding the pedals down.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46You just can't... It's not like in the UK where we get breaks,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and not as long journeys - you've just got to sit there and carry on.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57Simple dormitories like this are Eloy's home for most of the year.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Do we have a fire or heater or anything?
0:38:11 > 0:38:12No?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15And it's cold now, ain't it?
0:38:15 > 0:38:16Yeah, yeah.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32You get up here and realise just how hard things are.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34We have to stay over here.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36And I tell you now, it's freezing cold.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38I'm leaving my hat on.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42I've got all my clothes on because it's absolutely freezing
0:38:42 > 0:38:46and we've only got these, you know, like llama blanket things.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I'm usually pretty good at staying awake and...
0:38:51 > 0:38:55..working - hard work, but this is something else.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57This is more than hard work.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Cerro de Pasco,
0:39:12 > 0:39:16one of the highest cities in the world.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20This is the end of the line.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Here, thousands of tonnes of mining ore are loaded onto the trains
0:39:23 > 0:39:26before heading back down the mountains.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Walter is a local driver who works in the depot.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Bloody hell, I didn't realise it was that deep.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52The centrepiece of Cerro de Pasco is a big hole, over a mile wide.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57This huge open-cast mine is getting bigger every day.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22But bigger.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26If you look at the wagons compared to the lorries...
0:40:26 > 0:40:27tiny.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32The city of 70,000 people
0:40:32 > 0:40:35is built on top of some of the country's largest deposits of lead,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37zinc and silver.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44But Cerro de Pasco is slowly eating itself.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49A city that relies on the mine is also being destroyed by it,
0:40:49 > 0:40:54as the giant hole expands, devouring roads and buildings.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02On this wild frontier, nothing stands in the way
0:41:02 > 0:41:03of the mining industry.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09I'm starting to realise
0:41:09 > 0:41:13that the main thing is to get this valuable mineral to the port,
0:41:13 > 0:41:14to ship them off
0:41:14 > 0:41:18to other countries - rich countries like America and China.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20That's all they're bothered about,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24and especially so when you see the state of the track.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29People living next to the track, you know, the crap everywhere,
0:41:29 > 0:41:34the way people are living - they're not bothered about anything,
0:41:34 > 0:41:38other than getting this stuff to the ports and on the ships.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Simon has mastered driving the train
0:41:59 > 0:42:03on the gentle plateau - now it's time to head back down the track
0:42:03 > 0:42:06for another lesson with Daniel.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Hopefully.
0:42:18 > 0:42:23But today I might be back as a brequero.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24Si!
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Si?! Oh, thanks a lot!
0:42:26 > 0:42:28You're supposed to say no.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43Controlling this massive train as it descends from the mountains
0:42:43 > 0:42:46depends on keeping to a precise speed.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Simon has to work a system of four different brakes,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53all the time communicating with his crew,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56who are his eyes and ears at the back of the train.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02As well as the technical demands,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06train driving Peruvian-style is an art.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Yeah, well, I was a bit rough at the start.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23I can see how easy it is to, like, you know,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27because of the weight and the gradients, to let it run away.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33You know, as soon as you take the brakes off, it moves...quick.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:43:48 > 0:43:52I'm just sort of figuring out which brakes are which, and then...
0:43:52 > 0:43:55URGENT VOICE ON RADIO
0:43:55 > 0:43:56Hang on a minute.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05If going too fast is dangerous,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07so is going too slowly.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10The plumes of smoke mean the brakes are overheating.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38I can smell them now.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46I feel a bit confident, most of the time,
0:44:46 > 0:44:50but as soon as we start to go downhill, on the bends,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53that's when I start shitting myself.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58The job that you do,
0:44:58 > 0:45:02some of the dangers and the risks that you take,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04do you still enjoy the job?
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Obviously you must think it's worth it,
0:45:06 > 0:45:10because it provides for your family, but do you think about that?
0:45:49 > 0:45:54After today, I've realised that I've been dropped in at the deep end,
0:45:54 > 0:45:55big time.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59As you're driving along, you know,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03and you look over the side of the track and it's just sheer drops,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06and you realise that you really need to be on the ball
0:46:06 > 0:46:08and keep control of the train.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14That's my main objective, just to keep control of the train.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30It's Simon's last chance to practise driving the train,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33but the odds against him are stacking up.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48In difficult conditions, Simon makes another mistake.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52In giving the train full throttle in the thin mountain air,
0:46:52 > 0:46:53the engine has stalled.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06Being stuck there in them sort of conditions, with no heat,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08no power, nothing,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10I could see panic.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13I think they were trying to hide it a bit,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16but I could see a bit of panic on their faces.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26OK. Stop.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30And luckily, it started up again.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39But starting the engine hasn't solved the problem.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41The wheels are just spinning.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44With the weather closing in,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48Daniel decides drastic measures are called for.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07After leaving several of the wagons behind on the track,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10the train can just about move.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17That must be the guys at the top asking where we are.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34It's not the day Simon had hoped for.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Tomorrow is crunch time.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57Simon has to drive down the mountain by himself.
0:49:07 > 0:49:12The best thing that came out of today for me,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16even after my major balls-up of stalling the engine
0:49:16 > 0:49:21and, you know, the potential there that I could have left us all stuck
0:49:21 > 0:49:23up the side of the mountain in that weather...
0:49:23 > 0:49:26was the fact that, you know, Daniel...
0:49:28 > 0:49:30..came up to me...
0:49:32 > 0:49:36..at the end of the day and said, "Don't worry about it".
0:49:36 > 0:49:39He's still, you know...
0:49:39 > 0:49:41He's still confident,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44and so are the rest of the lads,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46with me driving the train on my own.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52He told me that but, at the moment, I don't feel that confident
0:49:52 > 0:49:55and I don't share their optimism.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03Dawn at the second highest station in the world.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Today, Simon Davies,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09who usually drives a passenger train out of Manchester,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12will attempt to guide a 2,000 tonne mining train
0:50:12 > 0:50:14down the steepest track in the world.
0:50:16 > 0:50:17I'm nervous.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22I'm not going to go out there and let, you know,
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Daniel know I'm worried,
0:50:25 > 0:50:29but I'm going to walk out there and, you know,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32let him know that I'm confident.
0:50:34 > 0:50:35Which is the dangerous bit again?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37That bit?
0:50:37 > 0:50:38Ooo, si!
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Si. Now I'm ready.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50All right.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Simon has to stop the train running out of control
0:50:53 > 0:50:57and manoeuvre his way through the complex system of zigzags,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00all the time working hand in hand with his Peruvian crew.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05It's 15 hours and downhill all the way.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33If I said it was tough before, you could probably times that by 100.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37I feel under pressure to do it right, mainly for all these guys,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39and for Daniel,
0:51:39 > 0:51:44and, obviously, I've got a wagon full of minerals in the back.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49I'm just coming up to a crossing there. It went quite a lot steeper.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Here, it's a bit of a game of chicken.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04As lorries ignore the oncoming train,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06it's Simon's call whether to stop,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09or simply hope they get out of his way.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31If you take your eyes off the gradient or the speedo,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34or stop concentrating on how much brake...
0:52:37 > 0:52:40..you know, it runs away with you straightaway.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Simon has to be constantly wary about the state of the brakes.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06The wheels are starting to overheat.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25It could get that hot, you know, set fire to something,
0:53:25 > 0:53:26or it could derail.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Just got to my first zigzag,
0:53:52 > 0:53:57so we've just gone past the changeover where you change track.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04HORN BLARES
0:54:12 > 0:54:16Simon's successfully negotiated his first zigzag
0:54:16 > 0:54:20when a call comes through from the control centre in Chosica.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30There's another train waiting to come up where we've just come from,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33and we've got to go back into the tunnel.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Getting out of the way is a very difficult manoeuvre.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41He has to reverse into a dead end tunnel
0:54:41 > 0:54:44with only Ameliano, his brequero, to guide him.
0:55:17 > 0:55:22Now they've changed the points at that end for him, he can go up now.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28Simon is through the zigzags, and he's on the home straight.
0:55:32 > 0:55:33In the past two weeks,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37he's experienced the tough, physical job of the brequero.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43He's learned how to drive a mining train weighing over 2,000 tonnes,
0:55:43 > 0:55:47and now he's successfully brought the train down some of the steepest
0:55:47 > 0:55:51and most difficult track in the world.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Quite chuffed that I've nearly done it now, you know.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03At Chosica, Daniel's family and workers
0:56:03 > 0:56:06from the station have gathered to welcome them back.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09To be honest, I never thought I'd do it on my own,
0:56:09 > 0:56:13because the first go I had, sort of had a few mishaps,
0:56:13 > 0:56:16and got a bit too big for my boots, I think.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51I've never done a journey that long and that difficult for 15 hours -
0:56:51 > 0:56:55really chuffed that I've done it, and not made any mistakes.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10Every day, every hour that they're working
0:57:10 > 0:57:11there's potentially, you know,
0:57:11 > 0:57:15a major danger there, and that camaraderie's there,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18that teamwork's there -
0:57:18 > 0:57:20you know, they look after each other,
0:57:20 > 0:57:24so, yeah, I'd describe them as warrior-type drivers.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Really take my hat off to them.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37To be honest, when I came back,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41even how tough it was and hard it was,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44you know, I actually missed the place and I missed the people.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46And I actually started joking.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51I said to my wife, you know, that I didn't want to come home.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58Back at home, Simon's trying to see if he can help the drivers in Peru
0:57:58 > 0:58:02and improve the conditions that Daniel, Eloy and the crews work in.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07You know, even if it's just something small,
0:58:07 > 0:58:10if I can do that through a bit of awareness over here,
0:58:10 > 0:58:15through my union, and the company I work for,
0:58:15 > 0:58:19hopefully, that'd be, you know, at least it's a step.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd