The ‘hackjacking’ drama is played out in real time over one single night.

BBC One thriller Nightsleeper stars Joe Cole and Alexandra Roach and centres on a nightsleeper train that is overtaken by a hijacking incident, known as ‘hackjacking’.

Euston Films produced the drama, that was filmed last summer at Pioneer Film Studios in Stepps, Glasgow with a purpose-built set including a life-size train and video walls to make it appear as if the train is moving. The set was so realistic it was reported that some of the cast had to take motion sickness pills.

Pioneer Film Studios (on the site of the former Black and White whisky bottling plant) offered the scale the team needed for the set build.

Pioneer had been planned as a major national production hub for Scotland but, as The Knowledge exclusively reported in June, it quietly closed its doors in spring this year due to financial difficulties, although the managing agent for the site told us at they were (at that time) accepting enquiries from producers to continue using the facility as long as warehouse space remained available.

Around 80% of the story takes place either on the train or on the cyber-security set, although the production team did have a night shoot at Glasgow Central Station.

Just after the three-month shoot wrapped in July 2023, exec producer Kate Harwood told STV News: “I love Glasgow – it’s really nice to come back here at length and it’s fantastic to see it becoming such a centre for filming.”

With the action playing out over one single night, the drama’s starry cast includes James Cosmo, Sharon Small and David Threlfall. executive produced by Harwood, Nick Leather, Jamie Magnus Stone and Gaynor Holmes. The directors are Stone and John Hayes; the producer is Jonathan Curling. Daisy Costello co-produces. It is created and written by Nick Leather with Laura Grace (episodes four and five).

You can watch the official trailer below.