It brought a tear to my eye watching this amazing advert. The wonderful cinematography, soundtrack and poem. It says *Great Britain* and boy it made feel so proud to be *British* I love this *great* land of *ours* and salute her. It wasn't just saying goodbye to a once great *British Railway* but also to a once *GREAT Great Britain* the *greatest* land in the world 🇬🇧
@@davidmartin1041 Actually there are aircraft designed to compete with helicopter on manoeuvrability and to allow for good observation such as the Edgley Optica.
@@GeordieHandle you can thank privatisation for that. Its painfully ironic that Arriva, who run lots of trains in Wales and areas elsewhere, is owned by DB, the German national rail company.
@@GeordieHandle I know our system isnt perfect, but its much better than it was in the 1980s even, and a watch of some 1970s tv reports is testimony to the fact that our railways ARE in better shape these days, but that's always commuters favourite moans, a supposedly "bad service", and the ever increasing cost of fares Our railways recieve a lot of unjust criticism,
@@Keithbarber thing about BR is that it just never got loved by the several governments that occupied it. The governments were doing the bare minimum to keep it running hence stuff like the beeching cut and when Thatcher came, she lowered that funding even further to influence public opinion to privatise it (although she had no idea how to) so she let Major do it who didnt necessarily believe in thatcherism inside out and realised for himself that there was no actual way to successful privatise rail which now leads us to today where the railway is massively subsidised (more than BR ever got tbh) for network rail to maintain the I infrastructure/signalling that the rail companies run their over priced trains on. I think if we give BR another go and put all the subsidies that the railway is getting right now from the government then I really think it could be successful in terms of providing a sustained service to commuters for an affordable price and make the railway a service for all rather than those with more disposable income
Beautiful advert, misleading in that it appears to be heralding a new era in BR, when in fact it feels that they are saying goodbye and thank you to us customers, the sun is setting for BR
It's a real nostalgia trip, full of location shots and a real vibe of progress, the 'white heat of technology'. For those that remember that era, the reality was far from what you watched there. Today it still sinks in money that could arguably be better spent on hundreds of different public transport projects although I suspect the cultural benefits justify the cost.
You know, that's genuinely stirring. Superbly directed. Music by Vangelis? 😯 Magnificent shot of the Duff storming through I think Carstairs in the opening sequence. And the camera (which must have been a helicopter, not a drone) cutting across the nose of the 37 on the Highland Sleeper is worthy of an Oscar.
Sad Now the last two companies GWR and Scotrail will be retiring them soon The era of the HST was be over, and almost all traces of the MK3 generation trains will eventually cease
Wow! What an advert! I was born in '87 so I don't remember this, but it just makes you feel proud to be British. But, also sad we have nothing like this anymore.
Lasted a lot longer than it did here in the States. I've talked with mail clerks who worked on the RPO cars back then. One of them is a member of the local Swiss Club charter I go to, and he served at my local post office, and before that, on a Southern Pacific RPO car. He swears to this day that the mail was so much quicker and more efficient on the railways than by truck or plane
I did over 11 years with Royal Mail. Tried to get into the TPO (Travelling Post Office) but never got there. Long service was so common in the Post Office in those days and opportunities to get into the TPO were rare.
I’d only been in Royal Mail a couple of years and both the Great Western and the North Western TPO’s were recruiting for people but I couldn’t pass the sorting test. Oh well never mind all history now
It certainly should have been. You can thank the conservative neoliberalism desire to sell off public-owned assets to private companies for a relative pittance.
The aerial shots were fantastic, that took a real helicopter for the time, using a gyro stabilized camera rig about a quarter of the cost of the helicopter. And the jib work at the end, stunning cinematography.
Super collection of Impressive shots of our best railway engineering Pinching Auden's Night Mail was a good start, and had me wondering when the "new" wording actually began.
The music feels forboding in some aspects. Then knowing the context at the time we all knew what it would come down to in the end. Even the Night Mail Train wasn't safe and by the early 2000 were all no longer in service. Although there are now night parcel trains slowly creeping back, it still doesn’t make up for what was lost in the end which was more than we imagined.
Honestly you British people cherish your railroads so well.. not to mention the respect of the steam and new stuff to Unfortunately I can’t say the same in America... recently Amtrak has banned all steam on there lines and got rid of there lounge class cars and are even planning to abolish all long distance trains... not only are rail roads but a lot of things from the past are also neglected unlike you guys who cherish your history and transportation I just wish people in America respected transportation new and old more... it’s so neglected and ignored
Well, technically Amtrak does not own the rail lines it uses. Nearly all of the Class A railroads in America are owned by private companies such as Conrail, BNSF, or Union Pacific, which has its own steam program. It's not that Americans also neglect railroads. Right now there is more freight being hauled by rail today than during World War II, and there is a huge interest in steam locomotives here in the US. The only thing is we're a little more strict on it than the UK when it comes to letting steam locomotives run around on active rail lines
I live in the US these days and would far rather drive 200 miles than take the train. The convenience of choosing our departure time on the day is a large part, as is not having to drag bags to the station and then to the hotel. But in the UK the petrol/gas price makes driving prohibitive, as does paying to park for a week in a major town. If the UK wasn't addicted to taxing petrol to pay for stuff then it would very quickly revert to the US system where most people drove cars and trains were for people who had literally no other option.
It could just be that it could be a faster train if it doesn't have to stop and change engines for non electrified sections. Mail train has to be fast. Just my opinion.
"The passenger train is packed with commuters / Bound for the office to work in computers..." Half-hearted rubbish like this doesn't exactly do honour to Auden's poetry. I'm surprised his estate allowed it.
I find the beginning slightly contradictionary. (especially in these modern times.) It's like they're saying "Look at these factories we use! We're anti-environment! We'll pollute all of Britain!" as if this was an evironment PSA. The rest is still very beautiful though.
By far the safest and least-subsidised railway in Europe, and, if you can be bothered to plan journeys in advance, extremely cheap. And compared to driving or flying, vastly more environmentally-friendly.
It brought a tear to my eye watching this amazing advert. The wonderful cinematography, soundtrack and poem. It says *Great Britain* and boy it made feel so proud to be *British* I love this *great* land of *ours* and salute her. It wasn't just saying goodbye to a once great *British Railway* but also to a once *GREAT Great Britain* the *greatest* land in the world 🇬🇧
Those aerial shots are amazing especially considering they were done long before drones were invented! Must have been a skilled helicopter pilot
Most of those shots would have been taken by light aircraft.
@@DocterGeko Surely not at such agile angles and close proximity.
@@davidmartin1041 Actually there are aircraft designed to compete with helicopter on manoeuvrability and to allow for good observation such as the Edgley Optica.
A lot of those Helicopter Pilots would have been Ex-Military, because they would have been the ones with the skills to know how to fly low.
makes me tear up everytime. just reminds us of how far we have come and how incredible our rail system is!
Our rail should be the best in the world, especially considering it was invented here, yet it's absolutely terrible.
@@GeordieHandle you can thank privatisation for that. Its painfully ironic that Arriva, who run lots of trains in Wales and areas elsewhere, is owned by DB, the German national rail company.
@@GeordieHandle I know our system isnt perfect, but its much better than it was in the 1980s even, and a watch of some 1970s tv reports is testimony to the fact that our railways ARE in better shape these days, but that's always commuters favourite moans, a supposedly "bad service", and the ever increasing cost of fares
Our railways recieve a lot of unjust criticism,
@@Keithbarber thing about BR is that it just never got loved by the several governments that occupied it. The governments were doing the bare minimum to keep it running hence stuff like the beeching cut and when Thatcher came, she lowered that funding even further to influence public opinion to privatise it (although she had no idea how to) so she let Major do it who didnt necessarily believe in thatcherism inside out and realised for himself that there was no actual way to successful privatise rail which now leads us to today where the railway is massively subsidised (more than BR ever got tbh) for network rail to maintain the I infrastructure/signalling that the rail companies run their over priced trains on. I think if we give BR another go and put all the subsidies that the railway is getting right now from the government then I really think it could be successful in terms of providing a sustained service to commuters for an affordable price and make the railway a service for all rather than those with more disposable income
You're joking surely
Beautiful advert, misleading in that it appears to be heralding a new era in BR, when in fact it feels that they are saying goodbye and thank you to us customers, the sun is setting for BR
Thank Thatcher and then Major.
It's a real nostalgia trip, full of location shots and a real vibe of progress, the 'white heat of technology'. For those that remember that era, the reality was far from what you watched there. Today it still sinks in money that could arguably be better spent on hundreds of different public transport projects although I suspect the cultural benefits justify the cost.
@@SuperTed19021Thank Blair & Brown.
I'll be proud to welcome them back
And the sun is rising again with Great British Railways
Out of all the TV adverts from my younger days this is the only one I never forgot.
You know, that's genuinely stirring. Superbly directed. Music by Vangelis? 😯
Magnificent shot of the Duff storming through I think Carstairs in the opening sequence. And the camera (which must have been a helicopter, not a drone) cutting across the nose of the 37 on the Highland Sleeper is worthy of an Oscar.
This is actually quite emotional. Plus it just hits differently now that the HSTs have been withdrawn from express routes.
Sad
Now the last two companies
GWR and Scotrail will be retiring them soon
The era of the HST was be over, and almost all traces of the MK3 generation trains will eventually cease
An advert that symbolises everything that is good about British railways.
what about steam locos..
Railways, not Railroads
Did I say railroads?
@@joedalby4401 😁
Was good about british railways, gone to the dogs now
Wow! What an advert! I was born in '87 so I don't remember this, but it just makes you feel proud to be British. But, also sad we have nothing like this anymore.
My god, some of the helicopter shots - how on earth did they do those? Balls of steel?
This really feels like the end of something. Very sad.
Brings a tear to the eye
I’m not crying
You are
RIP Vangelis and RIP British Railways
I was lucky enough to go on one of these just before they stopped running them, did 25 years at royal mail.
Lasted a lot longer than it did here in the States. I've talked with mail clerks who worked on the RPO cars back then. One of them is a member of the local Swiss Club charter I go to, and he served at my local post office, and before that, on a Southern Pacific RPO car. He swears to this day that the mail was so much quicker and more efficient on the railways than by truck or plane
I did over 11 years with Royal Mail. Tried to get into the TPO (Travelling Post Office) but never got there. Long service was so common in the Post Office in those days and opportunities to get into the TPO were rare.
I’d only been in Royal Mail a couple of years and both the Great Western and the North Western TPO’s were
recruiting for people but I couldn’t pass the sorting test. Oh well never mind all history now
Man, if this were all you knew about BR, you would think it was the best thing ever.
It certainly should have been. You can thank the conservative neoliberalism desire to sell off public-owned assets to private companies for a relative pittance.
While far from perfect it was a damn sight better than the post-privatised disaster inflicted upon us by the neoliberalism of tory dogma.
Surprisingly good video quality, Thanks!
Some nice aerial views, and the rhymes ... ;-)
WOW that is a powerful advert , almost brings u to tears ..very well made
The aerial shots were fantastic, that took a real helicopter for the time, using a gyro stabilized camera rig about a quarter of the cost of the helicopter. And the jib work at the end, stunning cinematography.
Super collection of Impressive shots of our best railway engineering Pinching Auden's Night Mail was a good start, and had me wondering when the "new" wording actually began.
Fantastic advertisement
I would rather have old BR & be able to afford to visit my uncle in Glasgow at least once a year.
this is beautiful 🥺
Theres a way older version of this.
Beautiful
This is great. I miss BR....
Wonderful!
The music feels forboding in some aspects. Then knowing the context at the time we all knew what it would come down to in the end. Even the Night Mail Train wasn't safe and by the early 2000 were all no longer in service. Although there are now night parcel trains slowly creeping back, it still doesn’t make up for what was lost in the end which was more than we imagined.
If I ever get a time machine, it’s back to the seventies for me. Any takers?
I jump aboard the time machine
No thanks
Honestly you British people cherish your railroads so well.. not to mention the respect of the steam and new stuff to
Unfortunately I can’t say the same in America... recently Amtrak has banned all steam on there lines and got rid of there lounge class cars and are even planning to abolish all long distance trains... not only are rail roads but a lot of things from the past are also neglected unlike you guys who cherish your history and transportation
I just wish people in America respected transportation new and old more... it’s so neglected and ignored
I live in Vermont, USA. I love "Oh! Doctor Beeching!"
Well, technically Amtrak does not own the rail lines it uses. Nearly all of the Class A railroads in America are owned by private companies such as Conrail, BNSF, or Union Pacific, which has its own steam program.
It's not that Americans also neglect railroads. Right now there is more freight being hauled by rail today than during World War II, and there is a huge interest in steam locomotives here in the US. The only thing is we're a little more strict on it than the UK when it comes to letting steam locomotives run around on active rail lines
It's not just the railways, Bidens just started
They don't call him "Amtrak Joe" for nothing. He used Amtrak for years, I doubt he's giving up on them.
I live in the US these days and would far rather drive 200 miles than take the train. The convenience of choosing our departure time on the day is a large part, as is not having to drag bags to the station and then to the hotel. But in the UK the petrol/gas price makes driving prohibitive, as does paying to park for a week in a major town. If the UK wasn't addicted to taxing petrol to pay for stuff then it would very quickly revert to the US system where most people drove cars and trains were for people who had literally no other option.
when we had a railway in the UK before greed took over
With all the climate change worries when are they bringing all this back?
The live action Thomas and Friends movie looks superb.
Public service Broadcasting's version of this is brilliant
Still using some of those trains! But on a positive note. Richard Branson and Brian Soutar are fuuuckin wadded!
Soutar is a homophobic fucktard
The start of sectorisation. A class 47 diesel hauling the mail train under wires!
It could just be that it could be a faster train if it doesn't have to stop and change engines for non electrified sections. Mail train has to be fast. Just my opinion.
@@SgtPotatoChip6356 I don't think you get what he means.....
It also heralded the end of coal, coke, oil, girders, brick industries and mail trains
Half expected a voice at the end to say "That was a party political broadcast on behalf of British Rail..."
this is the night mail crossing the border.
And to think, this was all done at a time *without* drones or high-tech modern aerial technology.
In the words of Diesel 10, "it's so beautiful I could cry"
What piece of music is it
Great vid....railways better than 30 years ago though?? that depends on what part of the network. some yes, others....not a chance.
31 years on and still using the same trains.
The 125 is a lovely loco
Some of the trains built in the 1980s are still in use, but they are now being replaced
amazing advert, and now history, the uk has no coal fired power stations online!
I created a poem for the Great Central Railway based on this poem style.
The music makes me sad
Same, Don't worry though
LET’S RENATIONALISE THE BRITISH RAIL NOW
NOW IDONT CRE IF WE CANT AFFORD IT
We can get there!
I think the railways do a fairly good job
It's not without its faults and shortcomings, but services have improved quite a lot
@@Sarahbryson321 we probably can’t afford it 😂
@Rob Because it's just better in every way?
I want to return on the 642
Havnt seen any sprinters in eons....
.... And now we have Avanti West Coast. 100 times worse than BR at its worst
Now I want go home on the 6:42
The uk invented railway travel ,let us all be proud
Who's here after the King's Speech in 2024? Our railways might yet be ours again.
"The passenger train is packed with commuters / Bound for the office to work in computers..."
Half-hearted rubbish like this doesn't exactly do honour to Auden's poetry. I'm surprised his estate allowed it.
when men where men and deity
A full HD version is available here ua-cam.com/video/EsyyJaX0j3Y/v-deo.html
Why oh why did thee Tories privatise our glorious past
I find the beginning slightly contradictionary. (especially in these modern times.) It's like they're saying "Look at these factories we use! We're anti-environment! We'll pollute all of Britain!" as if this was an evironment PSA. The rest is still very beautiful though.
I think the idea is that it isn't all picturesque and quaint - that it doesn't shy away from hard work and "gets its hands dirty"
UK rail is absolute garbage, worst in Europe and most overpriced. And the least punctual.
Shut up you yank
By far the safest and least-subsidised railway in Europe, and, if you can be bothered to plan journeys in advance, extremely cheap. And compared to driving or flying, vastly more environmentally-friendly.
Wanker
@@timb4373 *coughs in Harrow and Wealdstone 1952 rail accident*
@@MrDalek2150 68 years later, today's railways are in much better shape, and a lot safer