People of the railways

About this episode

The story of Britain's railways isn't just about steam engines and steel tracks—it's about the people who built them, worked on them, and sometimes fought for their rights along the way. To mark the 200th anniversary of the first modern passenger railway in 2025, this episode explores the human stories hidden within The National Archives' vast railway collections, focusing on records up to around 1950. Hosted by family history specialist Jessamy Carlson, with railway historian Mike Esbester and records specialist James Cronan, the episode uncovers tales from accident registers that capture moments of tragedy and resilience, staff magazines that connected workers across vast distances, and annotated timetables that reveal individual journeys from centuries past. Read the full episode transcript here.