Among the guests to be heard on the second episode of West Midlands Railway‘s popular “On The Rails” podcast, are pop impresario Pete Waterman and social media star Francis Bourgeois.

The podcast is being released today, Tuesday. 21 November and listeners can hear music legend Pete explain about his passion for trains and the railway, and how he wrote some of his most popular pop hits whilst travelling on the train.

Francis Bourgeois became a social media sensation in 2021 when the number of searches on Google for steam train experiences more than doubled. Much of that increase was partially attributed to Francis, whose passion for trains became an international hit that led to television appearances, widespread media coverage, and 2m TikTok followers. On today’s podcast, Francis discusses why the railway means so much to him.

It was largely due to Francis’ positivity and joyful nature that endeared him to the public, and he often be seen sprinting down station platforms chasing locomotives with a GoPro camera attached to his head. Last year he starred in a North Face x Gucci advert at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

The “On The Rails” podcast aims to both entertain and inform passengers, and achieve the success of episode one, through which its listeners helped it reach the Top 10 in Apple Podcasts’ automotive section.

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said: “On The Rails gives listeners the opportunity to hear stories and learn information about the railway which they may not have been aware of before.

“The podcast features insightful interviews from industry experts and celebrities – I look forward to hearing what people think about the second episode.”

Both episodes of “On The Rails” are available here, and can also be found on on the website of West Midlands Railway’s sister company, London Northwestern Railway, and streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.