The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

One of the joys of these lovely programmes is meeting the dapper, immensely proud stationmasters from around the world who take the utmost pride in keeping their often tiny domains immaculate.

The white-uniformed gentleman who looks after little Ella station high in the hills of Sri Lanka closes his platforms to the public every morning to ensure every inch is swept, washed and polished. Even the plants are watered assiduously.

The busy train from the city of Colombo to the beautiful Nine Arch Bridge stops at many dinky stations like Ella, which largely accounts for the delightful slowness of the trip, along with seemingly endless waits in sidings on single tracks as other engines pass.