Themes from My Lady Ludlow, Mr Harrison's Confessions and The Last Generation in England are included to provide continuity with the first series.

[1] Most of the cast members from the first series, including Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Deborah Findlay and Barbara Flynn reprised their roles, with Jonathan Pryce, Celia Imrie, Lesley Sharp, Nicholas Le Prevost, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McNulty, Rory Kinnear and Tim Curry joining the cast.

[1] The new stories, which were written by Heidi Thomas and directed by Simon Curtis, took place in August 1844; a year after the wedding of Sophy Hutton and Dr Harrison.

Captain Brown readies the opening of a train station at Hanbury Halt, five miles from Cranford.

Lady Ludlow refuses to sell her land to enable an extension to the town Mrs Bell, a widow with two grown children, continues deep mourning fourteen months after her husband's passing.

Daughter Peggy dresses in outdated clothes and has little opportunity to socialise with people her own age – including potential suitors.

Miss Galindo attends to her needs and has tried unsuccessfully to contact Lady Ludlow's long-absent son Septimus, living in Naples ostensibly for his health, to alert him of his mother's illness.

Her former estate agent, Mr Carter, now deceased, made provision in his will for her to be loaned the money (from his bequest to Harry Gregson) to pay off the mortgage.

Septimus offers to give Harry £5,000 immediately if he will agree to relinquish his claim to the balance of the money that is owed to him.

Many residents are still opposed to the railway – including Mr Buxton, who reveals that he owns a parcel of land previously thought part of Hanbury Park.

Jem Hearne tells Matty that he and Tilly will have to leave Cranford if the railway does not reach the town due to lack of work.

He is sorry to have stood in the way of progress; thanks to Matty's excursion, he has decided to sell his land and allow the train construction to proceed.

Meanwhile, Peggy's brother Edward becomes an agent for Mr Buxton and takes charge of the sale of the parcel of land to the railway company.

Miss Galindo and the vicar find a seemingly dead Harry after realising he was on the train when it crashed.

Miss Matty decides she will use some of the money from her shop to restore the assembly hall and hold a Christmas Eve party to bring everyone together.

Invitations are sent and everyone accepts except Mrs Jamieson, who has not forgiven her sister-in-law, the widowed Lady Glenmire, for marrying Captain Brown.

As people gather in the newly refurbished hall, Mrs Jamieson arrives on Peter's arm, having relented, and she reconciles with the newly-wed Captain Brown and Lady Glenmire.

She finds Miss Pole inside the box holding Tilly, and Jem walks up the aisle and says that with the train coming to town he is moving back.