All Aboard: East Coast Trains

The breakfast crew serves a trainload of sleep-deprived commuters. After half a century on the job, York Station's J.R. dispatches his last-ever train. Assigned to station security, new recruit Liam investigates an alarming situation. Then, a mystery shopper puts onboard service to the test. And a lightning bolt strike wreaks havoc on a busy payday Friday at Newcastle station.

All hands are on deck as Newcastle Station prepares for one of the country's biggest football matches. Thousands of fans descend on the station without incident, but major crowd trouble breaks out when the visiting team wins the match. A fan of 1980s rock band Big Country follows his idols on their cross-country tour.

It's the last day of the premier league football season and throngs of potentially rowdy fans are crisscrossing the country in search of glory. For East Coast Trains staff, this means heightened security and crowd control procedures, as well as a heavy police presence to help enforce an alcohol ban on selected trains.

From the platforms to the control centre, the East Coast team braces for the busiest weekend of the year. During Easter, nearly every train carriage is booked to capacity. And up and down the line, staff prepare for the five-day mass migration. The railway chaplain hosts a charity shoe polish and lends a sympathetic ear to weary travelers.

For East Coast Trains staff, joining the company means joining a tight-knit family. More like brothers than coworkers, chef Mark and crew leader Nigel cater to first-class passengers on the early morning "porridge express" to London.

Since leaving his job as an accountant, train driver Steve has never looked back. Like East Coast employees up and down the line, he loves the thrill of working for the railway. At King's Cross Station, an irate passenger claims the machine took his cash but failed to produce a ticket. New recruits learn to handle a trolley before their big test on board.