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Michael Portillo鈥檚 rail adventure along the south coast of Wales reaches the town of Port Talbot, known across the world for its steel production. He marvels as tons of molten iron are poured into railway wagons for transport to the steel plant and investigates how the industry is planning to decarbonise. At Swansea University, he finds scientists are working to capture energy which would otherwise be wasted, starting with heat.

Across the bay, Michael arrives in the Mumbles, site of the world鈥檚 first passenger railway in 1807 and today home to new research into sea walls. Michael discovers groundbreaking work to design a new generation of sea defences, which takes into account not just engineering properties but also biodiversity. Researchers are monitoring a range of patterned hexagonal tiles to see which ones coastal creatures and seaweeds prefer.

From Swansea, Michael heads west to Gowerton, to the salt marsh along the Burry Inlet, where a young sheepdog called Toby shows off his skills. Michael learns what it takes to raise saltmarsh lamb before tucking in at a local pub.

Michael鈥檚 train hugs the coast from Gowerton to Burry Port, where he heads for the wild and blustery Pembrey Sands, an eight-mile stretch of beach which is three miles wide when the tide is out. It鈥檚 the perfect place for him to learn sand-yachting.