A FILM about Swanage Railway’s history is available to watch as part of a new online service launched by British Pathé.

The leading historical film archive has created an on-demand channel offering an extensive collection of railway documentaries and in-cab (driver’s eye) views, with more footage to be released over the coming weeks.

As part of the collection of train programming, with some footage never-before-seen on TV, a 135-minute documentary called The Story of the Swanage Railway has been uploaded.

The documentary, filmed and produced by Roger Hardingham of Kingfisher Productions, features archive footage, stills, and interviews and looks at the growth of the Swanage line from its British Rail days, its closure period in the early 1970s, subsequent reconstruction, and ongoing preservation since.

Fans of the railway can now view the film on the British Pathé channel for free.

Alastair White, general manager of British Pathé, explained why the company opted to target the railway community.

“It has been clear to us for a while that many viewers are not being catered for by existing channels and that we are well-placed to provide an alternative for those with specialist interests.

“Niche DVDs can be expensive, so we thought there would be a lot of people out there who would really go for a subscription service like this that offers such great value for money.”

Other highlights from the 80 hours of train programming uploaded to the channel so far include a three-part documentary about how Britain’s railways met and overcame the challenges of the post-industrial era, a documentary about Tangmere, one of 44 ‘Battle of Britain’ Bulleid Pacifics, and a film recording a cab ride on the train from Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central in November 1988.

The collection forms a key component of the British Pathé channel, which aims to appeal to specialist audiences, such as history buffs, royal watchers, cinema aficionados, and train enthusiasts.

The subscription-based service is designed to complement the existing British Pathé newsreel archive, which will remain free-to-view on its separate website and YouTube channels.