Tracing the Rails launches search for Britain's next lost railway story

By AI, Created 4:40 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd has opened a nationwide call for nominations to choose the lost railway line that will anchor a future documentary series. The appeal builds on the West Sussex-based Steyning Line project and seeks routes with visible remains, strong local memories and untold heritage stories.

Why it matters: - Tracing the Rails is widening a local heritage project into a national search for overlooked railway history across Britain. - The appeal could surface routes with surviving structures, archives and community memories before those stories fade. - The project also wants new sponsorship as series one nears completion.

What happened: - Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd launched a national appeal on May 11, 2026, asking the public to nominate the next lost, closed or abandoned railway line for a future series. - The documentary began in West Sussex with the former Steyning Line, also known as the Adur Valley Line, which once linked Shoreham-by-Sea and Horsham. - The line served Bramber, Steyning, Henfield, Partridge Green, West Grinstead and Southwater before passenger services ended in the 1960s. - The current series is reaching audiences through YouTube, community screenings and television broadcast on Rewind TV.

The details: - The production combines archive material, present-day exploration, local memories, interviews, drone footage and historical research. - The team says the goal is to tell the story of the communities, businesses, schools, farms and families shaped by these railways, not just stations and trains. - Director Chris Kirk said the team is especially interested in lines with visible remains, hidden structures, abandoned stations, bridges, tunnels, viaducts, artefacts or strong local memories. - Suggested nominations include Beeching-era closures, rural branch lines, industrial routes, coastal lines and former commuter railways. - The appeal is open to railway enthusiasts, local historians, former railway workers, walkers, cyclists, community groups, museums, archive holders and anyone connected to a lost line. - Nominees should explain why the line matters, what remains today and whether local people, photographs, documents or stories could help bring the route to screen. - Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee and a not-for-profit organisation focused on documentary production and public heritage storytelling. - The company reinvests surplus income into future media and documentary projects. - The company works with museums, local historians, railway enthusiasts, residents, volunteers and other contributors. - Previous Steyning Line work included collaboration with local museums and community groups, plus material shared by people with photographs, films, documents, memories and artefacts tied to the route. - Support for the project helps pay for filming, research, archive material, insurance, travel, editing and distribution. - The series is also supported by audience contributions, Patreon subscribers, philanthropists, backers, community goodwill and volunteer efforts. - People can nominate a line, support the project or watch the current series at the company’s website or by emailing info@tracingtherails.com. - Media inquiries go to Chris Kirk at info@tracingtherails.com. - The company’s social channels include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Patreon and LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The project is positioning railway heritage as a community archive, not just a transport story. - The emphasis on less-famous routes suggests the next series may focus on a line with strong local texture rather than national name recognition. - The Hollywood Indie Film Festival semi-final placement in Best Serialised Web Documentary and Best Feature Documentary adds outside recognition as the team seeks wider support.

What’s next: - Tracing the Rails Productions Ltd will review nominations from across Britain and look for a route with both physical remains and human stories. - The team is also hoping to secure additional sponsorship while series one moves toward completion. - A future series will depend on which lost line gets the strongest mix of heritage value, local material and screen potential.