Filmed in 1959 on the French Railways (SNCF), in France and Switzerland. Footage of SNCF electric and steam trains at Lille Poste 1 station, parcels and mail loaded onto carriages, shunting electric power car, passenger boarding second class carriage, electric multiple unit (EMU), steam locomotive pulling train, departing station, electric locomotive BB-13034, shots from carriage’s window at tail of train, departing station, train at Strasbourg station, electric locomotive BB-16002 coupled to carriages, footage of journey taken from driver's cab, shots of driver inside driver's cab, stops at different stations, freight, goods trains passing on parallel tracks, shots of electric overhead lines and tracks filmed from driver's cab, shots of electrical signalling equipment, arrival at Basel station. A film made for Railway Roundabout BBC TV, by John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse. This is the original master film reel, black and white, silent. Duration: 10 minutes

This film is part of the Railway Roundabout collection donated by the makers of the programme, John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse. They produced films on contemporary British and foreign railways for the BBC Children's programme 'Railway Roundabout, broadcast monthly between 1958 and 1962 on BBC Television. The commentary was created and broadcast live, so the original films in the collection are silent. The Railway Roundabout collection includes the original masters, prints, some offcuts and working material for Railway Roundabout programmes as well as other films (non-Railway Roundabout) made by the John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse and a small number of films made by others. The collection also includes the original un-edited audio recordings made between 1960 and 1965 by John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse for the BBC radio programme Railway Roundup. Additionally, John Adams and Patrick Whitehouse were both photographers, their respective photographic collections are held by the National Railway Museum. This film is titled 'Lille to Basle' on title frame on film, 'A Journey from Lille to Basle' on Railway Roundabout 16mm masters list, titled 'Lille to Basle by S.N.C.F.' on BBC Programme Index. First broadcast on 23 May 1962 on BBC Television.