BA to screen seven-hour train journey to relax passengers

British Airways planes will screen a seven-hour film showing a rail journey through Norway in real time as its first foray into so-called Slow TV, a genre it says should appeal to long-haul passengers seeking relaxing viewing.

Other offerings that could be available alongside the latest computer games, Hollywood blockbusters and television cop shows include knitting, a walk in the park and bird feeding, London-based British Airways said today in a statement.

Footage of a rail trip from Bergen to Oslo was a breakout hit in Norway, where about one million people or one in five of the population have viewed it, according to British Airways, which will screen the journey on hundreds of flights from next month.

The marathon film has a similar appeal to that of moving plane maps watched by passengers for “endless hours,” it said. “It fits perfectly with the wallpaper-style footage people find mesmerising,” BA on-board entertainment manager Richard D’Cruze said after securing the first airline rights to the rail film.

“There’s a hypnotic, calming and entertaining quality to Slow TV that is perfect for in-flight entertainment.”