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Travel presenter Michael Portillo has revealed the countries he would most like to take trains through – if they were not so dangerous or politically sensitive.

The star of Great Railway Journeys, which returns for a new series on BBC Two next week, says some of his global travel plans have also been derailed by countries having incomplete rail networks.

The former Tory defence secretary said: “There are so many places we haven’t been in the BBC series. But not everywhere is easy.

“We were going to go to Mexico but evidently it is too dangerous to go to Mexico.

“I’d love to go to China but I think that has now become very difficult politically to do. And I’d love to go to South America but there are very few railways there.

“So we have a wish list of places we would like to go to but it has to be balanced by a certain number of realistic considerations.”

Portillo, 72, has entertained viewers for the past 14 years by travelling through countries including Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Denmark and France.

He will return with an epic 40-episode series of Great Railway Journeys on April 13, where he will be seen riding through Hungary, Corsica, Sardinia, Uzbekistan and Japan.

*Great Japanese Railway Journeys starts on April 13, followed by Great Korean Railway Journeys on May 4, Great Central Asian Railway Journeys on May 11 and Great Continental Railway Journeys on May 18.