We reach the majority of our episode locations by train so it is no surprise that many can be heard in our recordings. These episodes all have the sound of trains as a feature. Enjoy!
Steam trains
The line of the Severn Valley Railway starts at Kidderminster and ends in Bridgnorth. In August 2023, we found a mid-way point and made a recording from a footpath in Arley. In these episodes you can hear the hoot of the train as it disappears through the trees.
- Episode 187 – Steam train stops at country station (42 mins)
- Episode 219 – Country meadow summer breeze (31 mins)
Earlier in the day, we left a set of mics recording a couple of miles away in the Wyre Forest. You can hear the hoot of the same train here.
Episode 186 – Slow forest Wyre valley (70 mins)
Sleeper trains
Have you ever been on a sleeper train? They are a magical way to travel!
The Night Riviera from London Paddington to Penzance is a luxurious treat. It creaks and groans through the night. There’s something about it pulling in to a quiet station in the middle of the night and being soothed by the gentle clicking and soft voices.
- Episode 142 – All aboard the Night Riviera (21 mins)
- Episode 175 – Night train sleeper (61 mins, sleep safe)
Long before we started Lento, we crossed France on a sleeper train. Our holiday started the moment we got on the train and it was in some ways the most exciting part of our trip.
Episode 11 – Sleeper train from Paris Austerlitz to Port Bou (22 mins)
England’s highest railway station
Dent station is 1,150 feet above sea level. Dent is 5 miles away – down in the valley. This is a quiet place, very open to the elements. On this bright August day, you can hear sheep and buzzards close by.
Episode 195 – Tranquility on England’s highest railway station (43 mins)
Trains across fields
The sound of the wind and the water birds on a grey August day by the Thames. Trains in the distance.
Episode 40 – Low tide at Benfleet in Essex (33mins)
Trains from a wood
The line from Moorgate to Hertford North is one of our favourites. We’ve recorded many times from the footpath through the Pinetum which is parallel with the tracks.
Hear the sound of the trains gliding through the railway cutting, reflecting sound down from the tree canopy.
- Episode 52 – The balm of warm woodland in late summer (31 mins)
- Listen to more episodes from the Pinetum.
About Lento
There’s over 140 hours of soundscapes for you to explore in our full library. We record everything ourselves. These are the sounds from real places. There’s no looping, just the sound in real time with no talking or music or ads to get in the way.
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Radio Lento 