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Francis Bourgeois loves trains, and the internet loves him for it

Francis Bourgeois loves trains, and the internet loves him for it

Train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois has accumulated 3.3 million followers on TikTok, 2.6 million on Instagram, and 196,000 subscribers on YouTube. When he bought his own train in 2025, the TikTok announcement video saw 12 million views alone. He's brought his love of trains to television, presenting...

Francis Bourgeois

Luke Magnus Nicolson, more popularly known as Francis Bourgeois, is a trainspotter. But to millions on TikTok, he's the trainspotter. Popularly dubbed "the Train Guy," the engineering student and content creator went viral in 2021 for mounting a GoPro to his forehead when observing trains, capturing his gleeful reactions through a comically distorted fisheye lens.

Such shots have since become a staple of his videos, in which he shares both facts and enthusiasm about trains. Though trainspotting is a relatively niche hobby, Francis' infectious joy and unbridled passion for locomotives have earned him a strong following. The English creator has accumulated 3.3 million followers on TikTok, 2.6 million on Instagram, and 196,000 subscribers on YouTube. When he bought his own train in 2025, the TikTok announcement video saw 12 million views alone.

Francis has also brought his love of trains to television, presenting Channel 4 series Mission to Space and the celebrity-filled Trainspotting With Francis Bourgeois, as well as Francis Bourgeois and Chris Harris: We Saved a Train on Discovery+. Most prestigiously, he replaced Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May as host of motoring series The Grand Tour, alongside YouTube Throttle House hosts Thomas Holland and James Engelsman. He's also caught Gucci's eye, modeling in a collaborative campaign with North Face, and he's published a book, The Trainspotter's Notebook, through Penguin.