All aboard: Railway 200 arrives in the North West for the very first time

Thursday 6 Nov 2025

All aboard: Railway 200 arrives in the North West for the very first time

Region & Route:: North West & Central

Passengers and families in the North West have been experiencing the one-of-a-kind Railway 200 Inspiration Train for the first time after it arrived in Blackpool.

Excited visitors snapped up all of the free tickets to board the travelling exhibition before it stopped at Blackpool North for a stay that began on Tuesday 4 November and runs to Friday 7 November

The exhibition train, part of the UK-wide Railway 200 campaign, is the only experience of its kind running on Britain’s mainline railway. It’s been touring the country since June 2025 to mark 200 years of the modern railway, celebrating the history, present and future of the railway through hands-on, family-friendly exhibits.

Visitors can:

Step aboard four exhibition carriages, each focused on a unique rail theme.
Try interactive engineering displays and STEM activities.
Learn about careers in the railway and its impact on our economy, climate and communities.
Explore the history of iconic trains and the exciting technology shaping our railways for the next 200 years.

Danielle Lahan, Community Rail partner at Network Rail, said: "The Inspiration Train has been a brilliant success so far, and we’re thrilled to be bringing it to Blackpool. Whether you’re a curious commuter, local family or a student considering a future in engineering, this is a great chance to see how rail connects us all – past, present and future."

Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director at Northern, added: "We’re really excited to be hosting the Inspiration Train at one of the busiest stations on the Northern network next week.

"While tickets for the visit have now sold out, we encourage families to learn more about 200 years of fascinating railway history, by stepping on board to enjoy the fantastic exhibitions. The train has been particularly popular with children and we’re hoping it will encourage youngsters to consider a future career on the railway, so they can help shape the next 200 years."

To learn more about Railway 200 visit www.railway200.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

Notes to editors

- The Railway 200 Inspiration Train is a touring exhibition made up of four carriages, each featuring a different theme: heritage, environment, innovation, and careers in rail.
- The exhibition is the only one of its kind currently running on Britain’s mainline railway and has been developed as part of the national Railway 200 campaign, celebrating 200 years of the modern railway.
-The train has been touring the country from June until December 2025, with stops in locations including York, London, Swindon, and Blackpool.
- All tickets for Blackpool North (4 -7 November) have now been fully booked.
- School groups and media are still welcome to attend by prior arrangement.
- The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 3pm, with last entry at 2pm.
- More information on the Railway 200 campaign and upcoming events is available at: www.railway200.co.uk

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@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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