The Doctor and Yaz find themselves in deep space and deep trouble, with front row seats to a space train heist.

After the present day set adventure of ‘The Hallamshire Incident’ last time, The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures shifts the action to outer space. The time travellers are prompted to this tale by The Tourist, the entity whose fate wove through the first six stories of the series, with events coming to a head in ‘Aegis’.

The Greatest Train Robbery

Stepping on board the Maelin System Express, and leaving the TARDIS behind, the Doctor and Yaz soon learn that this space train is a regular service. However, while the train’s minimal crew know they are transporting a special cargo, which comes complete with its own armed escort, they’re unaware of exactly what it is.

Yaz immediately comes to the aid of a pregnant passenger, while the Doctor ingratiates herself with the conductor, but it’s not long before the train comes under attack by a rebel faction who wants to take possession of the cargo, the mysterious Maelin Anomaly, who are set against the Sentinel guards sworn to protect it…

Writer Karissa Hamilton-Barris (Doctor Who: Redacted) has been upfront about drawing inspiration from Ursula Le Guin, who in turn was considering ideas of Utilitarianism posed by Dostoyevsky. While that’s pretty highbrow for Doctor Who, we could hear similarities to ‘The Rings of Akhaten’ and ‘The Beast Below’. Plus, ‘The Keeper of Traken’ and ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ too.

While protecting the plot twists, it’s fair to say that there are various factions vying for control. From the sentinel guards to the rebels boarding the train, to the train staff and the Maelin authorities, possibly too many? It certainly demanded a second listen to appreciate everything.

Outside Action

However, the action throughout is well-handled by director Ken Bentley, with the Doctor resorting to reckless tactics to bring the train back together when it becomes separated. At one point, she walks on the outside of the vehicle, making reference to having done this before. Of course, it can’t be a nod to the opening sequence from ‘The Power of the Doctor’ as that’s in her future, but there are other occasions in extended media. Looking into the idea, we found that there were originally scripted scenes for such an excursion in ‘Mummy on the Orient Express’ too.

In Summary

The direction of The Tourist is a neat, if cryptic, neat prompt into the story, but we’re still puzzled as to why the Maelin Anomaly was in transport. Clearly it needed to be vulnerable, but if there was a further reason we missed it. More than that, we never really comprehended how it does what it does either.

Eventually, when the true motivations of the hijackers become clear, it leaves the Yaz and the Doctor at odds. Yaz wants to take down a whole society, while the Doctor is happy to air the truth and let the people decide. While that lack of a definitive ending feels unsatisfying, it’s also thought-provoking and perhaps not a million miles away from the morally ambiguous ending of a tale like ‘Kerblam!’ As we said, this is a story that deserves a second listen to fully appreciate.

Doctor Who – The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Greatest Train Robbery is out now on CD and download to own from Big Finish

Next Time: Armageddon Dawn

The Doctor decides it’s time to deal with Aegis. Taking Yaz to confront the company at the height of its powers, she finds Athena Nikos entertaining some unexpected clients.

Tech genius Esskapell wants control of Aegis for his own reasons – but, more worryingly, so does the ‘Dalek Negotiator’…

Doctor Who – The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: Armageddon Dawn is available to pre order from Big Finish now. It’s out in November 2026.