GB / US
2004
2hrs 22mins
Dir: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson
Harry Potter learns that an escaped murderer is coming after him
The third Harry Potter movie features more shots filmed on the West Highland line and Glenfinnan Viaduct with No.5972, but all is not quite what it seems. Unfortunately, filming was disrupted after No.5972 started a number of lineside fires amongst the dry vegetation so the scenes that appear in the film actually depict a night journey in torrential rain, with the train ‘held’ on Glenfinnan Viaduct for one very scary scene. As in the other films there are shots taken at King’s Cross station, with maroon Mk1s and GNER Mk4s present, but No.5972 is not visible. One scene follows that shows the trio of young wizards onboard the train and through the carriage window a station with NSE signboard passes by, probably somewhere on the ECML. Just as interesting if only for the fact that it is different to the usual Harry Potter fare, is a scene earlier in the film that shows Harry’s lodgings close to a railway line in Borough, South London. This was filmed adjacent to Borough Market and a Connex-liveried Class 423 4 VEP EMU is passing by in one shot, crossing the bridge over Stoney Street on the line between Metropolitan and Borough Market Junctions.