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Railway in 1980s Bond movie wants more screen roles

Tom Jackson & Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Peterborough
Getty Images Roger Moore stars as James Bond. He is wearing a black dinner suit with white shirt and black bow tie. He is poised for action and carrying a pistol in his right hand. He is looking to his right.Getty Images
A scene for the James Bond movie Octopussy, starring Roger Moore, was shot at Nene Valley Railway

The chairman of a heritage railway that featured in a 1980s James Bond movie has said more filming would be "terrific".

Peterborough's Nene Valley Railway (NVR) - which is facing "unprecedented financial pressures" - has featured in 150 commercials, TV programmes and films, including Octopussy, which starred Roger Moore as Bond.

Now the city council has announced plans for a film office to promote the area as a TV and movie location, and NVR will feature in a promotional video.

"Octopussy as a feature film, back in the 1980s - the income from that was immense," said NVR's Michael Purcell.

Tom Jackson/BBC Michael Purcell is standing to the side of a train and smiling at the camera. He has grey hair, square framed glasses and is wearing an orange high vis vest. It is blue sky behind him and the light from the sunrise is shining on his face. Tom Jackson/BBC
Income from the filming of Octopussy in the 1980s "was immense", says Nene Valley Railway chairman Michael Purcell

"They would build steps and things, which they left behind and [that would] help us.

"It is a good source of income. Our volunteers get involved and it's good fun when it happens."

Mr Purcell added more filming would be "terrific" and NVR was "very eager to be part of [it]".

NVR also featured in the 1984 spoof spy movie, Top Secret, with Val Kilmer, and The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985), a World War Two action film.

Scenes in the soap EastEnders and TV crime drama Silent Witness have also been filmed on the platforms.

Tom Jackson/BBC A sign on the NVR platform reads Wansford. Behind it is the station building and the train tracks are situated to the left. Tom Jackson/BBC
Coal is a "massive expense" at NVR, with a round-trip to Peterborough from Wansford using a tonne, which is £320

The council has said it hoped the film office would capitalise on a growing market for movie creation outside London.

As well as NVR, the city's lido, embankment and Central Park are thought to be promising filming locations.

Getty Images Roger Moore as James Bond dressed as a clown. He has a white painted face, red mouth, large red and black spotted bow tie and a yellow, black and orange checked suit. He is tipping his hat and holding a cigar.Getty Images
In Octopussy, Bond disguises himself as a clown to infiltrate a circus

In May 2024, NVR appealed for funds, setting a target of £300,000. So far, £87,000 has been donated.

NVR's electricity costs have been reduced thanks to a grant for solar panels.

But Mr Purcell said it still faced the expense of water, coal and essential repairs and upgrades.

He said: "Once upon a time, people would come to steam railways just to buy a ticket and sit behind a steam locomotive, but all heritage railways are finding that's just not enough anymore, we have to be more event based.

"We still want to run the railway... but events bring people in and return income."

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