This wonderful advert for British Rail, Directed by Hugh Hudson in 1988, is presented here remastered in 720p High Definition and true 16:9 wide-screen. Copyright 1988, RSA Films.
I remember the making of this film. Most of the locations between 0:40 and 1:00 was filmed in the Immingham and Scunthorpe areas. Train drivers needed strong constitution during the filming as it was not unknown for you to be driving along and a helicopter swooped down on you without warning. I was the driver on the Trainload Freight Petroleum class 47 at the head of the TOTAL tanks. The Hydro fertilizer train was also filmed at Immingham
If there is a better one, then chances are Hugh Hudson directed that as well. His most famous ad is probably the BA ‘face’ one, or the Fiat ‘built by robots’ one. Both of which are similarly beautifully shot, edited and scored, but this has the edge I think.
British Airways made some nice ones , especially the Concorde ones . ua-cam.com/video/v9bVFkDhGPE/v-deo.htmlsi=Xcy_osfkntsy0c5N Also the original advert introducing the VC-10 by BOAC was pretty good . ua-cam.com/video/_UK_JVoQqrg/v-deo.htmlsi=i_AB-2fw1P6aRJ0M
As proud British patriots, we have realised from being born, that we live in a visitor centre, a museum, a Jurassic Park of world influence. Our industrial estates tell a brighter story as do software developers (and also, this video by British Rail was rather good for its day, including the synthesizers)......
I want to go back to the time when trains were better than now now they are all identical and really boring have u seen the ecml north of York and Newcastle all we get is IETS and voyagers with like 2 maybe 3 freight trains
Nobody will deny that British Rail had problems towards the end, but being starved of funding and being prepared for privatisation will do that to you. Unable to invest in new trains, or make any long term plans? How can you when the government and BR themselves knew the end was coming? A lot of the complaints still exist today too. BR wasn't perfect, but it looked after it's people and, quite frankly, did a lot more good than bad over it's very long life.The HST for example saved our railway.
I live in the USA, and I wish passenger rail here was half as good as it used to be in the UK! Freight here is good, but passenger service is mostly ass outside a few good spots!
1987! Disaster year 1987! The year we were being tortured with two carriage dmus for most journeys here in North West England! They tried it on in July 1981 when we had to shove in ourselves like sardines in the 5:10pm two carriage Southport to Manchester Victoria dmu train! And again in July 1982, a two carriage 5:10 pm Southport to Manchester Victoria dmu train so packed so we refused to board it! We waited for the 5:40 pm Southport to Manchester Victoria three car dmu to take us home, and we got a seat right at the front of the train.
Totally agree - the railways should be re-nationalised, along with other essential utilities such as electricity, water and the royal mail. Also, outsourcing and privatisation of the NHS should cease and be reversed.
This is truly a beautiful advert. The poem, the music, the camera shots. ALL perfect. If British Rails are listening to this comment, PLEASE BRING BACK OR MAKE ADVERTS LIKE THESE!!!
It truly is. A reminder of the heyday of our wonderful rail network and, with a bit of effort from all involved, inspiration for what it could be again.
I've been searching for this advert & am glad to have found it, even though watching it moves me to tears every time! I worked for B.R. in the 1980's and although it was never perfect & had huge labour problems there was a feeling of all staff being in it together; a feeling NOT found in First Group....
Something people forget in criticising British Rail is the fact that all of British nationalised industry was a shitshow in the post-war years, and things were just starting to get (pardon the pun) on track when Thatcher and her toff scum mates came and sold it all off! Alas, the bell tolls for neoliberalism, and soon what industry can be salvaged will be back in public hands...perhaps we'll never see a return of nationalised British steelworks, but we can damn well take back our public services. And we're going to, make no bones about it. The Tories should be terrified. We're going to torch their legacy, rip up the roots and salt the earth so it never grows back again.
hotelmario510 Even Thatcher thought that privatising BR was not a priority, if she was in favour at all. It was Sir John Major's idea to privatise. I quite like him otherwise but for that decision.
Lol From what I can tell first group has also inflicted damage in the United States (Greyhound Busses the standards have dropped and the fairs have went up)
Scary stunt moment at 1:44 with the aerial shot cutting VERY closely across front of a Class 37 on the Scottish sleeper. You might do it with a drone today with little risk to the train, but back in 1988 that must have been a real helicopter sequence.
I seem to remember this being 'unveiled' at Christmas in 1988. At the time it was a huge deal, which is strange for an advert. Nice images - especially the power station, along with old I.K.B.'s offering and of course the Forth rail bridge. Lovely.
I joined the railway the year this advert was made (1988) & it does show the Good Face of BR at its best! The problem was the Government were paying for sleek adverts like this instead of putting the investment into what was really needed. The Investment then compared to now is astonishing. Back in 1988 the idea of rebuilding a whole station like Reading was a distant dream. The Government of the day & governments before it just didn't believe in Britains railways. "A Lost Opportunity"!
I work for network rail now, I work with a couple of guys that were BR. They love this advert, I love the fact I’m carrying the torch forward, I absolutely love the railway
Here's B.R.'s ad for the nineteenth time, With Hugh Hudson pictures and limp, adsmen's rhymes. And Vangelis' music, all synthesized, Preparing our railways to be privatized. And here's Tom Courtney, reading the verse, If you think that's awful, the future is worse: Down go the standards, up go the fares, And only fat bastards will soon own the shares. Out go the regions, the unprofitable routes, Just leaving commuter trains, crammed full of suites. There are the admen, puffing away, Desperately flogging Britain's Railway. With a dismal attempt to use Auden style, To sell the new Britain which heed of our bile. The private contractors making their pitch, The Tory supporters making it rich - The bankers, the brokers, the PR men too. The only ones who will lose out... Are you!
While we all agree contemporaneously, COVID-19 has changed everything. "Empty trains going through tunnels, with turnstiles no longer looking like funnels"....
This is the night mail crossing the border Bringing the cheque and the postal order Letters for the rich; letters for the poor The shop at the corner and the girl next door Pulling up Beattock a steady climb The gradient's against her but she is on time Passing the shunter intent on its toil Moving the coke and the coal and the oil Girders for bridges; plastic for fridges Bricks for the site are required by tonight Grimy and grey is the engine's reflection Down to the docks for the metal collection The passenger train is full of commuters Bound for the office to work in computers The teacher, the doctor, the actor in fast The typist, the banker, the judge in First Class Reading The Times with a crossword to do Returning at night on the 6:42
1 - Find a perfectly good public service 2 - Starve it of the funding it needs 3 - Watch the standards collapse, quality go down, fares go up 4 - Wait for public resentment to build against the service 5 - Claim that privatisation will fix all the problems 6 - Wait for public support to build for privatisation 7 - Privatise it 8 - Pocket the money, even though there's been no discernible improvement, fares continue to skyrocket, and subsidies remain as high as when it was nationalised
Heartbreaking to think that just in a few years from this masterpiece being aired that the industry would become yet another casualty of tory dogma,vandalism & ideology.
This makes me think of how good our railway network could be again with a little loving care. So many emotions in this film, even in the last line ... returning at night on the 6.42.
Incredible ad ! Thanks for to upload it in HD ! Concerning the music, 1988 was a bad year for Vangelis. He released "Direct", his most 'new age' work, full of synth presets, superfluous melodies, almost total absence of his composing fingerprint, (I know, I know, Vangelis' fans will hate me). But the music composed for this ad is superb. It compensates the album's drop.
Not just a BR ad any more, but a snapshot of when we had industries that actually made things rather than just move money around, supported by a rail network that for all its failing was run in the interest of the people and businesses of the UK, rather than private shareholders and the state(!) railways of other nations.
A vastly underwatched video compared to the quite mesmerizing content filmed mainly from helicopter. Well done guys for finding the original footage. What a great montage!
I had Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark on VHS recorded from the TV in the 80s. As a kid for some reason I would always stop winding through the ad breaks when this came on and would watch it. Loved the music on it as well as the views, some of them very local to me. Beautiful advert that seems to bring back memories of happier, more simple times.
I remember watching this as a child thinking how romantic the outside world is., and then enjoying the world in later years but somehow always thinking of this beautiful poem.
I hope they do a recreation of this for the launch of GBR. While I think it's a load of pr bull the rebranding of private rail in the UK it would be great to see a modern update to this
What hooks me in every time I need perking-up is the Roland synthesizer sound benders at the start. Realistically, the UK because we are so old is a meeting-up of hi-tech and low-tech every day. I love the UK.
This advert is quite poignant really, as it shows the industrial nation the UK used to be, making a lot of things ourselves rather than importing them from other countries and all supported by British Rail... :(
And British steel (and whatever organization owned the fuel refineries etc.) The only privatized industry's that I can think of was the Auto industry (Austin and Morris Hillman and Reliant Ford and Opel etc.) And then there were the road equipment manufacturers (British Leyland AEC etc.)
This is how it has to be. In America , no matter if someone dislikes, Trump expressed it very clearly. UK will have to go back to this for sure, but this time without getting complacent, beccause that is what happened and had the industry less competitive and less sustainable . UK had relied too much on empire connection and forgot about the golden rule of global market competition. If UK goes back to industry and does not forget the golden rule it will be fine.
+Dominic Arceo Indeed you are quite right. However, now look at it, the British rail network is the most expensive and the most poorly run rail network in Europe.
I'm not British and I am too young to live in BR time, but this makes me so sad. It makes me remember the golden time of Railways in my country, most of them closed now ...
This Ad was BR's swansong. They finally had a railway to be proud of. Within 4 years, the wheel/rail interface was broken and the railway was being sold or franchised piecemeal to the highest bidders.
I like to think of this advert as a short film made for British Rail to say to the public Thank You and Goodbye. BR was broken up 5 years after this was made and it's possible that the board of BR knew that is was going to be privatised (could be wrong but since the tory scum was privatising everything else, it was only a matter of time).
Morgan Winters, I think the same, if that is correct they probably used quite a bit for a film like this. Probably to avoid the Tory scum getting there hands on it. R.I.P British Rail, Please come back soon :(
This advert is kinda topical again just now with today's announcement of the temporary re-nationalisation of East Coast, but just as topical was this clever and oh-so-painfully true (as it turned out) parody of it, done by Spitting Image: ua-cam.com/video/VFcBRHC9MV0/v-deo.html
Andrew Holland, It’s so true. A nationalised rail is better for the everyone except the Tories and share holders, I really hope Corbyn gets in and brings back one of Britain’s National treasure’s!
HSTFAN I would back any politician who would bring back BR, but we would have to wait for Brexit as EU laws don't allow public services to be run by nationalised companies.
Brilliant ! BRILLIANT. I'd like to see a joint ad in the USA with the Association of American Railroads and the American Public Transportation producing an ad similar to this one.
There's a lot that's changed on the British railway network since this video was made; TPOs no longer crest Beattock summit, we've got less heavy industry, and BR is no more. However, once you get past 1:00, this video to me represents the sheer scenic variety and diversity of passenger services we had then and still enjoy today, where trains cross magnificent structures such as the Forth Bridge, the Royal Albert Bridge and Glenfinnan Viaduct (the latter on a line which was voted Top Railway Journey in the World in 2009 and 2010), commuter trains rushing through the Home Counties to London termini and Intercity trains speeding between major centres. I first saw this video when I was abroad, and it brought a tear to my eye, as I felt prouder of our rich and diverse rail system than ever before; proud to be British and all that, and even though change is change, I still feel we've got a heck of a long way to go yet.
Nicely remastered! I love British Rail because everything is less confusing and it's fair for everyone. It's a shame that it's broken up by privatisation and First is the worst company in the UK. Here in the US, I have Amtrak. Too bad Amtrak is not like British Rail because it just a passenger only railroad and only freight railroads improve the tracks. Greetings from America!!!
BritishRailways you are right,I was a maintenance supervisor on BR back in 1995 when privatisation started, before this our only objective was to get bums on seats.Then it all changed to 'money' (how much did something cost) this went against everything I had learned as an apprentice so I took redundancy and left, could not live with the penny pinching.
Thank you for posting! The only other one I could find on youtube had terrible resolution and a big intrusive graphic blocking half the picture. This is so much better. People get nostalgic about British Rail, but I seem to remember it was in an awful mess with a terrible reliability record. If a train actually showed up on time it was the biggest surprise of the day.
agreed. Yes BR was starved of cash, but rolling stock improvements were happening. Sprinter DMUs, IC 225s, new Network SouthEast EMUs and DMUs all were introduced and more would've followed. All for less subsidy and cheaper ticket prices in real terms .
cjmillsnun yes there were more planned primarily to replace the old slam door dmus and emus up north and on the southern region. They even planned to extend thameslink to kings Lynn and Cambridge and planned to replace the 319s with brand new 371s. And then there is the cancelled crossrail project that planned to use 341s. It would make it easier for me to get to central London then and now. At least soon crossrail is going to be complete
I would gladly take the class 70s back, and pass the 66s to Canada. While we're at it, we can also take the Pendolinos for scrapping, too. I believe that Britain could make enough rolling stock for domestic use and foreign export. Back in the 1800s, Britain ONLY used British stock, as did other countries, too (like Japan, Australia, etc.). Britons even engineered many railways, too, like in Japan.
The finest hour of BR. Profits not only on InterCity, but also previously loss making sectors. Network SouthEast were bold and successful, and Provincial were offering new units and changing travel for thousands. Then, they ruined BR and a national treasure
Also worth pointing out that a lot of is nostalgia, to be fair. A lot of the rail fan crowd will tell you that it did have old trains, it wasn't exactly reliable all of the time, and the British Rail sandwich. But that was part of the charm for people like me. I imagine pissed off commuters will disagree of course. I personally find traveling to work on a plastic German DMU depressing even if it is clean and on time - it lacks the charm of what we had, especially the steam days.
Maybe not, but it is possible to have a nationalised rail system that does what it should. If you go to the Netherlands the railways and bus services are integrated, it is possible to order a treintaxi to take you from home to the station. The trains run largely on time and are affordable. If only that were the case in the UK.
it is my belief B.R was far much better than what we have today, if governments put money into the system we would have one off the best rail works in the world
The only thing left is 142s and 15X's. Some say the stock is old, well Northern Trains run the worst of the BR stock (142s) and it is extremely rare for a delay to be caused by the unit, they are damn reliable with the correct level of maintenance
It's the freight-only line (beyond Saltburn) to Boulby Potash mine in Yorkshire. There's a short section running along the clifftop. The line previously continued to Whitby but was closed in 1958.
Lovely to come across this gem. It is so very tantalising and frustrating, though, that this version has been rather butchered by the upscaling and aspect ratio change - parts of the original frame are cut off and the picture has been distorted to fill a 16:9 raster. The source recording here actually appears to be reasonably good quality but the transfer has rather spoiled the film's original feel. I realise this was uploaded 9 years ago but if the original recording is still available, there is a case to be made for a better transfer preserving the original aspect ratio and (if the source material is a professional tape format) removing the colour-ringing effects (e.g. at 1:38) caused by composite PAL video signal... Tom Scott has a decent explanation of some of the issues of "remastered" videos on YT ua-cam.com/video/CkysCJBdGtw/v-deo.html
Its the same story with Royal Mail that's making money now, money that could be put into schools hospital or reduce the debt or tax, but no. Once something starts making money the government sell it there isn't much left for them to sell but I'm afraid of the day when I pick up the phone and dial 999 and am asked for my card details before they can send me some emergency vehicles.
I remember the making of this film. Most of the locations between 0:40 and 1:00 was filmed in the Immingham and Scunthorpe areas. Train drivers needed strong constitution during the filming as it was not unknown for you to be driving along and a helicopter swooped down on you without warning.
I was the driver on the Trainload Freight Petroleum class 47 at the head of the TOTAL tanks. The Hydro fertilizer train was also filmed at Immingham
Wow! That must’ve been mad.
What do you mean by “good constitution”? I’ve had to look it up. What a strange way of putting what I assume you’re trying to say.
@@handsoffmycactus2958 What I meant was that it was not unknown for a helicopter to swoop low over the railway.
This has to be the gold standard in television advertising. I can't think of a better TV ad.
If there is a better one, then chances are Hugh Hudson directed that as well. His most famous ad is probably the BA ‘face’ one, or the Fiat ‘built by robots’ one. Both of which are similarly beautifully shot, edited and scored, but this has the edge I think.
British Airways made some nice ones , especially the Concorde ones .
ua-cam.com/video/v9bVFkDhGPE/v-deo.htmlsi=Xcy_osfkntsy0c5N
Also the original advert introducing the VC-10 by BOAC was pretty good .
ua-cam.com/video/_UK_JVoQqrg/v-deo.htmlsi=i_AB-2fw1P6aRJ0M
Such a beautiful advert, but I get a sad feeling of a "sunset on a golden age" every time I watch it!
Same
You’re right, it’s the music that makes it feel like they’re saying goodbye, coming to the end of an age.
As proud British patriots, we have realised from being born, that we live in a visitor centre, a museum, a Jurassic Park of world influence. Our industrial estates tell a brighter story as do software developers (and also, this video by British Rail was rather good for its day, including the synthesizers)......
I want to go back to the time when trains were better than now now they are all identical and really boring have u seen the ecml north of York and Newcastle all we get is IETS and voyagers with like 2 maybe 3 freight trains
It's not over yet!
Nobody will deny that British Rail had problems towards the end, but being starved of funding and being prepared for privatisation will do that to you. Unable to invest in new trains, or make any long term plans? How can you when the government and BR themselves knew the end was coming? A lot of the complaints still exist today too. BR wasn't perfect, but it looked after it's people and, quite frankly, did a lot more good than bad over it's very long life.The HST for example saved our railway.
I live in the USA, and I wish passenger rail here was half as good as it used to be in the UK!
Freight here is good, but passenger service is mostly ass outside a few good spots!
1987! Disaster year 1987! The year we were being tortured with two carriage dmus for most journeys here in North West England! They tried it on in July 1981 when we had to shove in ourselves like sardines in the 5:10pm two carriage Southport to Manchester Victoria dmu train! And again in July 1982, a two carriage 5:10 pm Southport to Manchester Victoria dmu train so packed so we refused to board it! We waited for the 5:40 pm Southport to Manchester Victoria three car dmu to take us home, and we got a seat right at the front of the train.
@@Housephonestimes4 All done to make you hate the service and love those telling you its privatization solves all problems.
Totally agree - the railways should be re-nationalised, along with other essential utilities such as electricity, water and the royal mail.
Also, outsourcing and privatisation of the NHS should cease and be reversed.
@@Housephonestimes4 same thing happened with the Virgin Voyagers, vile trains. BR had problems, but it was run for the public, not for profit.
The modified 'Night Mail' poem was a nice touch to the ad.
This is truly a beautiful advert. The poem, the music, the camera shots. ALL perfect.
If British Rails are listening to this comment, PLEASE BRING BACK OR MAKE ADVERTS LIKE THESE!!!
Today, we have LNER
Or just bring back yourself, British Rail, we miss you.
@@thebritishempire8754 How so?
@@kodimarto9910 ?
@@thebritishempire8754 Yeah?
Probably the finest corporate ad ever made.
It truly is.
A reminder of the heyday of our wonderful rail network and, with a bit of effort from all involved, inspiration for what it could be again.
The gradients against her, but she's on time: the proud epitome of our magnificent rail network
I've been searching for this advert & am glad to have found it, even though watching it moves me to tears every time! I worked for B.R. in the 1980's and although it was never perfect & had huge labour problems there was a feeling of all staff being in it together; a feeling NOT found in First Group....
Something people forget in criticising British Rail is the fact that all of British nationalised industry was a shitshow in the post-war years, and things were just starting to get (pardon the pun) on track when Thatcher and her toff scum mates came and sold it all off!
Alas, the bell tolls for neoliberalism, and soon what industry can be salvaged will be back in public hands...perhaps we'll never see a return of nationalised British steelworks, but we can damn well take back our public services. And we're going to, make no bones about it. The Tories should be terrified. We're going to torch their legacy, rip up the roots and salt the earth so it never grows back again.
hotelmario510 Even Thatcher thought that privatising BR was not a priority, if she was in favour at all. It was Sir John Major's idea to privatise.
I quite like him otherwise but for that decision.
It wasn't Mrs Thatcher!
Agreed: this is a beautiful piece of filmwork. The soundtrack and the poem are deeply moving as well.
Lol From what I can tell first group has also inflicted damage in the United States (Greyhound Busses the standards have dropped and the fairs have went up)
Scary stunt moment at 1:44 with the aerial shot cutting VERY closely across front of a Class 37 on the Scottish sleeper. You might do it with a drone today with little risk to the train, but back in 1988 that must have been a real helicopter sequence.
+mark townend It's done with a zoom lens. The helicopter is probably close (say 25 - 50 ft) to the train but not as close as it looks.
Disclaimer: "No drivers were scared witless in the making of this advert" :-)
@@alanmusicman3385yes they were. Drivers were warned to expect helicopters swooping down on them. You know nothing
I seem to remember this being 'unveiled' at Christmas in 1988. At the time it was a huge deal, which is strange for an advert.
Nice images - especially the power station, along with old I.K.B.'s offering and of course the Forth rail bridge. Lovely.
This could easily be shown in 2024.
I joined the railway the year this advert was made (1988) & it does show the Good Face of BR at its best! The problem was the Government were paying for sleek adverts like this instead of putting the investment into what was really needed. The Investment then compared to now is astonishing. Back in 1988 the idea of rebuilding a whole station like Reading was a distant dream. The Government of the day & governments before it just didn't believe in Britains railways. "A Lost Opportunity"!
Chris Thorne g
I work for network rail now, I work with a couple of guys that were BR. They love this advert, I love the fact I’m carrying the torch forward, I absolutely love the railway
Here's B.R.'s ad
for the nineteenth time,
With Hugh Hudson pictures
and limp, adsmen's rhymes.
And Vangelis' music,
all synthesized,
Preparing our railways
to be privatized.
And here's Tom Courtney,
reading the verse,
If you think that's awful,
the future is worse:
Down go the standards,
up go the fares,
And only fat bastards
will soon own the shares.
Out go the regions,
the unprofitable routes,
Just leaving commuter trains,
crammed full of suites.
There are the admen,
puffing away,
Desperately flogging
Britain's Railway.
With a dismal attempt
to use Auden style,
To sell the new Britain
which heed of our bile.
The private contractors making their pitch,
The Tory supporters making it rich -
The bankers, the brokers, the PR men too.
The only ones who will lose out... Are you!
Yes
Britain's Railway...but not for long
@@pxsrrail2558 you got that from splitting image
While we all agree contemporaneously, COVID-19 has changed everything. "Empty trains going through tunnels, with turnstiles no longer looking like funnels"....
It was almost prophetic wasn’t it?
This is the night mail crossing the border
Bringing the cheque and the postal order
Letters for the rich; letters for the poor
The shop at the corner and the girl next door
Pulling up Beattock a steady climb
The gradient's against her but she is on time
Passing the shunter intent on its toil
Moving the coke and the coal and the oil
Girders for bridges; plastic for fridges
Bricks for the site are required by tonight
Grimy and grey is the engine's reflection
Down to the docks for the metal collection
The passenger train is full of commuters
Bound for the office to work in computers
The teacher, the doctor, the actor in fast
The typist, the banker, the judge in First Class
Reading The Times with a crossword to do
Returning at night on the 6:42
The first verse of this was written by WH Auden.😊
brings a tear to my eye
This might just be the best television commercial ever made.
1 - Find a perfectly good public service
2 - Starve it of the funding it needs
3 - Watch the standards collapse, quality go down, fares go up
4 - Wait for public resentment to build against the service
5 - Claim that privatisation will fix all the problems
6 - Wait for public support to build for privatisation
7 - Privatise it
8 - Pocket the money, even though there's been no discernible improvement, fares continue to skyrocket, and subsidies remain as high as when it was nationalised
Heartbreaking to think that just in a few years from this masterpiece being aired that the industry would become yet another casualty of tory dogma,vandalism & ideology.
This makes me think of how good our railway network could be again with a little loving care. So many emotions in this film, even in the last line ... returning at night on the 6.42.
Incredible ad ! Thanks for to upload it in HD !
Concerning the music, 1988 was a bad year for Vangelis. He released "Direct", his most 'new age' work, full of synth presets, superfluous melodies, almost total absence of his composing fingerprint, (I know, I know, Vangelis' fans will hate me). But the music composed for this ad is superb. It compensates the album's drop.
Thank you for doing this. The advert bought a tear to my eye. Hail and farewell British Rail, hail and farewell.
mgt x2
It's so moving. It shows the glorious 70s-90s. The glorious past eh!
Not just a BR ad any more, but a snapshot of when we had industries that actually made things rather than just move money around, supported by a rail network that for all its failing was run in the interest of the people and businesses of the UK, rather than private shareholders and the state(!) railways of other nations.
It's so lovely! So many memories. It's so grand and patriotic!
RIP Vangelis
You beat me to it - beautiful music and images.
Hopefully, with Great British Railways around the corner, they'll make a follow-up to this advert.
A vastly underwatched video compared to the quite mesmerizing content filmed mainly from helicopter. Well done guys for finding the original footage. What a great montage!
The shots are stunning.
I had Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark on VHS recorded from the TV in the 80s. As a kid for some reason I would always stop winding through the ad breaks when this came on and would watch it. Loved the music on it as well as the views, some of them very local to me. Beautiful advert that seems to bring back memories of happier, more simple times.
Vangelis at his best. The time he used the E-mu Emulator much.
I remember watching this as a child thinking how romantic the outside world is., and then enjoying the world in later years but somehow always thinking of this beautiful poem.
I hope they do a recreation of this for the launch of GBR. While I think it's a load of pr bull the rebranding of private rail in the UK it would be great to see a modern update to this
The better days of the railways with though old but better class of trains. Thank you for bringing us back happy memories.
What hooks me in every time I need perking-up is the Roland synthesizer sound benders at the start. Realistically, the UK because we are so old is a meeting-up of hi-tech and low-tech every day. I love the UK.
This advert is quite poignant really, as it shows the industrial nation the UK used to be, making a lot of things ourselves rather than importing them from other countries and all supported by British Rail... :(
And British steel (and whatever organization owned the fuel refineries etc.) The only privatized industry's that I can think of was the Auto industry (Austin and Morris Hillman and Reliant Ford and Opel etc.) And then there were the road equipment manufacturers (British Leyland AEC etc.)
We need UK based industy and BR brought back!
This is how it has to be. In America , no matter if someone dislikes, Trump expressed it very clearly.
UK will have to go back to this for sure, but this time without getting complacent, beccause that is what happened and had the industry less competitive and less sustainable . UK had relied too much on empire connection and forgot about the golden rule of global market competition. If UK goes back to industry and does not forget the golden rule it will be fine.
I really love British Rail. This was the greatest railway in Europe that time.
+Dominic Arceo Indeed you are quite right. However, now look at it, the British rail network is the most expensive and the most poorly run rail network in Europe.
+Morgan Winters How so sad.
Dominic Arceo I Like British Rail But I Prefer Heritage Railways Because They Have Steam Engines And Vintage Diesels/Electrics
Dominic Arceo Certainly the greatest on a small budget making BR the most efficient cost wise.
No it wasn't. France was miles ahead.
I'm not British and I am too young to live in BR time, but this makes me so sad. It makes me remember the golden time of Railways in my country, most of them closed now ...
Accord2 Sama as a British man you wouldn’t want to live in BR time they managed the rail system badly
this ad makes me cry, always...
Hugh Hudgon and Vangelis. Great Work (and dont know who wrote the script and narration)
Tom Courtney narrated
It’s a poem called Night Mail by W.H. Auden
This Ad was BR's swansong. They finally had a railway to be proud of. Within 4 years, the wheel/rail interface was broken and the railway was being sold or franchised piecemeal to the highest bidders.
I like to think of this advert as a short film made for British Rail to say to the public Thank You and Goodbye. BR was broken up 5 years after this was made and it's possible that the board of BR knew that is was going to be privatised (could be wrong but since the tory scum was privatising everything else, it was only a matter of time).
Morgan Winters, I think the same, if that is correct they probably used quite a bit for a film like this. Probably to avoid the Tory scum getting there hands on it. R.I.P British Rail, Please come back soon :(
This advert is kinda topical again just now with today's announcement of the temporary re-nationalisation of East Coast, but just as topical was this clever and oh-so-painfully true (as it turned out) parody of it, done by Spitting Image: ua-cam.com/video/VFcBRHC9MV0/v-deo.html
Andrew Holland, It’s so true. A nationalised rail is better for the everyone except the Tories and share holders, I really hope Corbyn gets in and brings back one of Britain’s National treasure’s!
HSTFAN I would back any politician who would bring back BR, but we would have to wait for Brexit as EU laws don't allow public services to be run by nationalised companies.
True, dont like no tories
Brilliant ! BRILLIANT. I'd like to see a joint ad in the USA with the Association of American Railroads and the American Public Transportation producing an ad similar to this one.
There's a lot that's changed on the British railway network since this video was made; TPOs no longer crest Beattock summit, we've got less heavy industry, and BR is no more. However, once you get past 1:00, this video to me represents the sheer scenic variety and diversity of passenger services we had then and still enjoy today, where trains cross magnificent structures such as the Forth Bridge, the Royal Albert Bridge and Glenfinnan Viaduct (the latter on a line which was voted Top Railway Journey in the World in 2009 and 2010), commuter trains rushing through the Home Counties to London termini and Intercity trains speeding between major centres. I first saw this video when I was abroad, and it brought a tear to my eye, as I felt prouder of our rich and diverse rail system than ever before; proud to be British and all that, and even though change is change, I still feel we've got a heck of a long way to go yet.
Nothing will beat the Spitting Image parody though. Lmao.
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This one beats it sorry man . Nostalgia is real
Tom Courtney's voice superb!
Anyone else here after the recent announcement of major rail reforms? Not quite a renationalization, but still exciting!
Masterpiece.
Nicely remastered! I love British Rail because everything is less confusing and it's fair for everyone. It's a shame that it's broken up by privatisation and First is the worst company in the UK. Here in the US, I have Amtrak. Too bad Amtrak is not like British Rail because it just a passenger only railroad and only freight railroads improve the tracks.
Greetings from America!!!
Brilliant. Have been searching for a HQ version for ages, LOVE IT!!
Oh please, bring those days back!
So this was the ad that Spitting Image was taking a piss at..
BritishRailways you are right,I was a maintenance supervisor on BR back in 1995 when privatisation started, before this our only objective was to get bums on seats.Then it all changed to 'money' (how much did something cost) this went against everything I had learned as an apprentice so I took redundancy and left, could not live with the penny pinching.
Thank you for posting! The only other one I could find on youtube had terrible resolution and a big intrusive graphic blocking half the picture. This is so much better.
People get nostalgic about British Rail, but I seem to remember it was in an awful mess with a terrible reliability record. If a train actually showed up on time it was the biggest surprise of the day.
agreed. Yes BR was starved of cash, but rolling stock improvements were happening. Sprinter DMUs, IC 225s, new Network SouthEast EMUs and DMUs all were introduced and more would've followed. All for less subsidy and cheaper ticket prices in real terms .
cjmillsnun yes there were more planned primarily to replace the old slam door dmus and emus up north and on the southern region. They even planned to extend thameslink to kings Lynn and Cambridge and planned to replace the 319s with brand new 371s. And then there is the cancelled crossrail project that planned to use 341s. It would make it easier for me to get to central London then and now. At least soon crossrail is going to be complete
Finally a version without THAT watermark on the middle of the screen!
Why is the sectorization livery so cool? Like it can’t beat br blue but still
Rest in Peace Micheal Angelis (1944-2020)
1:46 did they fly a helicopter on front of the train? The engineer probably crapped on his pants!
They did, but it was all pre-arranged and special approval was given to fly the helicopter close to the railway.
@@ukloco did the engineer know about that?
@@samanli-tw3id Yeah they were aware of what was happening.
One could also assume that the train would be running at quite a low speed such that it would be sped up on the editing process
This makes me nostalgic for an era I don't even remember
Superb advert. I miss the old 80's and 90's BR.
I would gladly take the class 70s back, and pass the 66s to Canada. While we're at it, we can also take the Pendolinos for scrapping, too.
I believe that Britain could make enough rolling stock for domestic use and foreign export. Back in the 1800s, Britain ONLY used British stock, as did other countries, too (like Japan, Australia, etc.). Britons even engineered many railways, too, like in Japan.
SirSnivyofNottingham
tfw Modern British freight locomotives are being built in the good ol' US of A
The finest hour of BR. Profits not only on InterCity, but also previously loss making sectors. Network SouthEast were bold and successful, and Provincial were offering new units and changing travel for thousands. Then, they ruined BR and a national treasure
Also worth pointing out that a lot of is nostalgia, to be fair. A lot of the rail fan crowd will tell you that it did have old trains, it wasn't exactly reliable all of the time, and the British Rail sandwich. But that was part of the charm for people like me. I imagine pissed off commuters will disagree of course. I personally find traveling to work on a plastic German DMU depressing even if it is clean and on time - it lacks the charm of what we had, especially the steam days.
We must renationalise the railways!
That view of the 4th rail bridge epic
That was the first Forth rail bridge, and it still is... 😀
I like the clips of Newcastle, its my nearest station and city!
I'm not even british and I'm getting goosebumps
The music has been composed and played by Vangelis!
Makes me happy, then I remember the cold, noisy, rattling train I have to use
I spend $800AUD on a railway pass after I saw this ad
Worth it?
Best Train Commercial Ever
I must have watched it a million times over. Lets just remember, who invented the railways? Us Brits!
Outstanding Video! Thumbs Up my friend! LIKE1007
Maybe not, but it is possible to have a nationalised rail system that does what it should. If you go to the Netherlands the railways and bus services are integrated, it is possible to order a treintaxi to take you from home to the station. The trains run largely on time and are affordable. If only that were the case in the UK.
Fantastic, Thanks :)
This must be the Railways on the mainland.
Vangelis - Possibly Nemo Studios Final Project.
Some footage in this advert can been seen in transport video publishing dvd Aerial Voyage
it is my belief B.R was far much better than what we have today, if governments put money into the system we would have one off the best rail works in the world
Dr Beeching's 12 descendants disliked this.
Amazing video
1:16 River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (Tyne and Wear)
Haven't seen this since about 1991 whenn I was 5 and had it on and old VHS which I would demand to watch every day!
Strangely poignant.
I sob everytime I watch it
We love Vangelis!
Like the video very much thanks.
Brilliant !!!!
Quality's amazing
How did you manage to obtain the original master of this ad and remaster it in HD?
The only thing left is 142s and 15X's. Some say the stock is old, well Northern Trains run the worst of the BR stock (142s) and it is extremely rare for a delay to be caused by the unit, they are damn reliable with the correct level of maintenance
They don't make hearts like this anymore not ones that evoke so much emotion.
where was that shot taken at 1:04? beautiful!
It's the freight-only line (beyond Saltburn) to Boulby Potash mine in Yorkshire. There's a short section running along the clifftop. The line previously continued to Whitby but was closed in 1958.
Lovely to come across this gem. It is so very tantalising and frustrating, though, that this version has been rather butchered by the upscaling and aspect ratio change - parts of the original frame are cut off and the picture has been distorted to fill a 16:9 raster. The source recording here actually appears to be reasonably good quality but the transfer has rather spoiled the film's original feel. I realise this was uploaded 9 years ago but if the original recording is still available, there is a case to be made for a better transfer preserving the original aspect ratio and (if the source material is a professional tape format) removing the colour-ringing effects (e.g. at 1:38) caused by composite PAL video signal... Tom Scott has a decent explanation of some of the issues of "remastered" videos on YT ua-cam.com/video/CkysCJBdGtw/v-deo.html
Amazing advert makes you proud if br
7 executives form the oil and car industries disliked this video
Too bad the Association of American Railroads can't mount an advertisement like this !!
It's a great shame you don't see ads like that anymore, embodying so much... I guess, only BR could do it? The deltic was a welcome sight.
Its the same story with Royal Mail that's making money now, money that could be put into schools hospital or reduce the debt or tax, but no. Once something starts making money the government sell it there isn't much left for them to sell but I'm afraid of the day when I pick up the phone and dial 999 and am asked for my card details before they can send me some emergency vehicles.
never mind that National Rail still use BRs logo!