New BBC drama's special effects were so gruesome it made stars 'sick' on set

A new BBC drama promises to have viewers on the edge of their seats with its adrenaline-fuelled storyline featuring the drama of a train being hijacked.

Steaming from Glasgow to London, Joe Cole of Peaky Blinders fame portrays police officer Joe Roag in the tension-filled rescue endeavour Nightsleeper.

And eagle-eyed north-east train travellers might well recognise some of the scenery in the background, with pre-recorded journey exteriors filmed between Aberdeen and London.

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The drama involves Abby Aysgarth, portrayed as an acting technical director at the National Cyber Security Centre, working alongside the off-duty cop to thwart the plot and save the passengers, writes the Mirror.

To evoke the sensation of hurtling through the countryside, the actors were filmed in stationary train carriages against windows doubling as screens showing moving scenery. However, this innovation had the unintended side effect of causing motion sickness for some cast members.

Joe shared the challenging shooting conditions with The Sun saying: "We were cooped up in these small carriages for 10, 12 hours a day and they had pre-recorded the entirety of the train journey exteriors from Aberdeen to London on LED screens, which were outside the train.

"You feel like you're on a train, people were getting motion sickness if they looked out of the window for too long. The lighting in the windows saves a lot of time in the edit and just looks more realistic. You couldn't escape this chaos. But it was part of the fun."

As the series unravels, viewers can anticipate high-tension scenes as the cyber-hijacked locomotive approaches its destination.

The new drama, set to premiere on Sunday, September 15, features David Threllfall among its cast and combines high-octane action with a gripping mystery. In the series, Joe must not only stop the train but also figure out if any of the passengers are the villains.

He is aided by Abby Aysgarth from the security services, played by Alexandra Roach, who maintains contact with Joe over the phone.

Despite challenges during the production of Nightsleeper, Joe still enjoys train travel, though he enjoys ribbing his friends about it.

He joked: "I had a stag do in Glasgow not long after the shoot and a lot of the lads got the Nightsleeper up there. I was like, 'guys, do not get on that thing'."

The show boasts an impressive ensemble including Alex Ferns, Sharon Small, James Cosmo, David Threlfall, Daniel Cahill, Lois Chimimba, Gabriel Howel, Katie Leung, Leah MacRae, Ruth Madeley, Adam Mitchell, Pamela Nomvete, Scott Reid, Sharon Rooney, and Parth Thakerar.