Radio 2 Celebrates Railways with New Folk Songs
Train Journeys Inspire Musical Tributes
BBC Radio 2 is highlighting the enduring impact of railways on people’s lives throughout July with the return of its “21st Century Folk” project. For the third consecutive year, five acclaimed folk artists are composing original songs inspired by stories of how trains have shaped individuals’ journeys.
A Week of Rail-Themed Programming
The project’s stories will be broadcast alongside programming marking “Railway 200,” celebrating two centuries of train travel across the UK. From July 28th to August 3rd, Radio 2 will feature a dedicated week of folk music, including shows on The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe and The Jeremy Vine Show. Jeremy Vine will broadcast live from “The Greatest Gathering,” a festival in Derby honouring rail travel’s past, present, and future.
Acclaimed Artists Contribute to Project
This year’s featured artists are folk legend Richard Thompson, celebrated singer Kate Rusby, Scottish musician Findlay Napier, the duo Chris While & Julie Matthews, and former The Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones. Their compositions will be available on BBC Sounds and on the BBC website.
“Radio 2 is proud of its commitment to such a wide range of music on one single UK radio station. We have much loved weekly shows dedicated to folk, jazz, country, blues, musical theatre and hip hop, alongside our huge mainstream programmes. I’m delighted that today our 21st Century Folk project returns for its third chapter. Sincere thanks to the listeners, whose stories are so inspirational and unique, and the singer-songwriters who have turned these tales into truly moving music.”
—Helen Thomas, Head of BBC Radio 2
“Folk music tells the story of everyday life, with melodies and lyrics that are passed down through generations of families. It’s been amazing to see these listeners’ stories take on a life of their own with these special compositions, written and performed by some of the folk world’s most loved artists. I can’t wait to share them with the Radio 2 audience.”
—Mark Radcliffe
Stories of Transformation and Connection
Among the inspiring real-life narratives is that of Siggy, an 85-year-old from Barbados who arrived in the UK in 1962 and began a career on the railways. His story is set to music by Richard Thompson. Another powerful account comes from Charlotte, whose life was saved by train driver David when they met beside a track. Their love story is now a song by Kate Rusby.
Joanne, a volunteer “steam locomotive fireman” and cancer survivor, has her story of activism in heritage railways captured by Findlay Napier. The tale of Tom, a baby found at Reading station in 1965, is being transformed into a song by the long-standing duo Chris While & Julie Matthews. Finally, Ken, an Alstom employee with 50 years of service whose family has a 157-year railway legacy, is honoured by Bill Ryder-Jones.
Broadcast Details and Special Features
The newly commissioned songs, along with interviews with the contributors and songwriters, will be featured across Radio 2’s programming. A special edition of The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe on Wednesday, July 30th, will focus on train songs and include an interview with folk icon Peggy Seeger, who was involved in the seminal “Radio Ballads” series, the first of which was about trains.
The music and stories can also be found on BBC Sounds starting July 28th and on Radio 2 on Sunday, August 3rd. The project is produced by Pomona Audio.
Railway travel continues to be a significant mode of transport globally, with the UK’s rail network carrying over 1.7 billion passenger journeys annually before the pandemic (Statista, 2023).
