This Cab Ride takes us on a winding, circuitous route across south London on a freight train carrying sand and stone from Hither Green to Woking depot. It's a very busy area, and we create a moving road block for the many passenger trains around To avoid causing disruption, our journey twists and turns, spending as little time as possible on the main lines. Instead, we're relegated to the backwoods, and it makes for an interesting trip.
From Hither Green Junction we begin on the South Eastern Main Line for a brief period, before branching north through Lewisham. From there we turn west on the Greenwich Park Line, the Catford Loop and the South London Line through Peckham Rye and Brixton to meet the maze of tracks at Clapham Junction.
We thread our way around and beneath the lines from Waterloo and Victoria stations to emerge on the Waterloo to Reading Line. At Barnes Junction we're diverted onto the Hounslow Loop, rejoining at Feltham Junction. After Staines, we reverse direction at Virginia Water to join the South West Main Line down slow at Byfleet Junction for the final few miles to Woking.
We're riding in the cab of a Class 66 - 66099 - and the weather is perfect. On-screen graphics constantly provide information, showing line speed limits and advance warning signs, and the signal section displays the current aspect, including feathers and theatre boxes. Animated maps lay out the route and stations we pass by, allowing you to visualise the geography of the journey. There's full commentary throughout, but if you prefer you can opt to silence the narration to sit back and concentrate on the relaxing sounds of this fascinating journey.
*The narration-free audio is a separate audio track. To choose the non-narration version, select 'audio track 2' from the DVD/Blu-ray player’s menu.
Produced by - Creative Imagineers
Duration - 108 minutes approx
Format - 16:9 widescreen
Region 0
DVD and Blu-ray
Released - October 2022