Wednesday 22 Oct 2025
360° virtual tour brings story of railways to your screen
- Region & Route:
- National
You can now visit Inspiration, a unique exhibition train that tells the incredible story of our railways, from the comfort of your home, anywhere in the world.
The free attraction is on a year-long, 60-stop tour of Britain for Railway 200, the national campaign celebrating 200 years since the birth of the modern railway.
Now, the train’s four carriages have been mapped in minute detail so those who can’t attend in person can visit online.
Virtual visitors can gaze at nearly 100 artefacts and exhibits about the past, present and future of rail, mapped via 90 ultra-high-definition photos taken on a 360-degree camera.
They can also access online-exclusive content from two of the National Railway Museum curators behind the train.
More than 35,000 people have visited Inspiration in person and 9 in 10 would recommend it to a friend.
It is currently in Edinburgh and will soon visit West Yorkshire, Blackpool, North Wales, Somerset, London and Southampton. 2026 tour dates will be released soon.
Railway 200 marks 200 years since a world-changing journey – the first steam-hauled, fare-paying passenger journey on a public railway.
The anniversary year began with a ‘whistle-up’ of more than 200 locomotives on five continents and since then thousands of events have taken place.
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said: “We’ve loved sharing the amazing story of this British innovation with people across Britain and it’s been amazing hearing how much they enjoyed their visits.
“It’s fantastic that even more people can now visit Inspiration. Our new online tour gives virtual visitors an appreciation of how railways truly changed the world and spotlights some of the diverse career opportunities available for all.”
In addition, a free multilingual digital guide to Inspiration is available via the Bloomberg Connects app. It can also be used at home or to enhance an in-person visit to the train.
National Railway Museum Curator Rob Scargill, who helped curate Inspiration, said: “One of the most exciting things about Inspiration is that it’s taking a fascinating part of world history to more people by travelling to audiences all over Britain.
“This virtual tour means even more people can enjoy the exhibition and I’m thrilled to have been able to contribute.”
Notes to Editors
About Railway 200
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, inspired by the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, a journey that changed the world forever. Under the banner of Railway 200, nationwide celebrations are planned throughout the year, showcasing how the railway shaped Britain and the world and how its pioneering pedigree continues today and is shaping tomorrow. Railway 200 encourages everyone to join in this once-in-a-generation opportunity, whether that’s by displaying the Railway 200 logo, organising events and activities, running competitions, or sharing rail stories.
About the National Railway Museum and Locomotion
- The National Railway Museum in York has the largest collection of railway objects in the world and is the most visited free attraction in the region. It celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025.
- Locomotion hosts the largest undercover collection of historic railway vehicles in Europe, showcasing highlights of the national collection of railway vehicles in Shildon - the world’s first railway town.
- The National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion in County Durham form part of the Science Museum Group.
- Admission to both museums is free and visitors are encouraged to book in advance, visit: www.railwaymuseum.org.uk and www.locomotion.org.uk
Contact information
Passengers / community members
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Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Jack Pitts
jack.pitts@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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