1 x 60-minute programme

There are three million lost, abandoned, runaway or orphaned children in India. Travelling by train, sleeping on the platforms, they seek refuge on the railways. Sweeping carriages, begging or stealing from the three and a half billion passengers that travel on India’s railways every year, the children somehow manage to get by. All are constantly at risk from speeding trains and many die falling beneath the wheels. Girls frequently fall prey to those who would exploit them in the sex trade. Boys too are often abducted and never seen again. It’s a life that is inconceivable to most Westerners.

RAILWAY CHILDREN follows the fortunes of chosen ‘street kids’ and uncovers the harsh realities and glimmers of hope of life on the run.

There are many stories but the tales all tell of abuse, abandonment or tragedy. Basha came home from school one day to find his thatched slum house in flames and his parents dead. He was six years old. With no one to look after him, he jumped on a train and travelled six hundred miles, the breadth of India, all alone.

There is a happy ending to his story. Not all are so fortunate. It’s when they hit rock bottom, that these children are most vulnerable. Those that don’t get help can face a sad end. The lucky ones find people like Mani Norton. Mani was a runaway railway child and heroine addict. He understands fear and despair. He came to India to find spiritual enlightenment. What he found were thousands of children in need of help.

Filmed over ten years, the film follows both the children’s progress and Mani’s continued efforts.

As the stories of the children unfold, they reveal remarkable lives of great courage. Railway Children is an emotional journey that will touch hearts and leave a lasting impression.

Age Group: 14+ yrs

Genre: Documentary

Rights: World All Media

Languages: English

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Photo © Caroline Brett