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Thursday 24 Apr 2025

Destination West Midlands as first Railway 200 exhibition train tickets released

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

Tickets are now available to visit the Railway 200 exhibition train which will make its first two stops in the West Midlands as part of a celebratory tour of Britain.

Severn Valley Railway will be the first stop later this year for the unique train as part of a 12-month national tour celebrating 200 years of the modern railway. 

The train, named Inspiration, will be open to visitors in Kidderminster between 27 June and 6 July 2025, giving local people the opportunity to be some of the first people to board it. It will then head to Birmingham Moor Street, where Chiltern Railways will welcome visitors for three days from 8 to 10 July.  

More than 200,000 people, including many schoolchildren, are expected to visit the train as it criss-crosses Britain over the next 12 months, visiting 60 locations and showcasing rail’s past, present, and future in engaging ways.  

The train, one of the highlights of a year-long celebration of two centuries of the railway in Britain, is designed to inspire schoolchildren and others to consider a career in rail by highlighting the wide range of different roles available in the industry. 

Admission to the train will be free, with tickets needing to be booked in advance, but normal entry charges to heritage railways and private sites where it is located will apply. Tickets can be booked at www.railway200.co.uk/inspiration. 

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s central route director, said: “Birmingham and the West Midlands are at the heart of Britain’s railway, making it the perfect starting point for the Railway 200 exhibition train tour.  

“This unique train will offer visitors an experience that showcases the railway’s vital role in Britain’s past, present, and future. I am so excited to see it inspire thousands of visitors from the West Midlands who will be among the first in Britain to experience what this remarkable train has to offer.” 

Earlier this year, to celebrate being the first station to host the train, teams from Network Rail’s Central route and Severn Valley Railway (SVR) gathered at SVR’s Kidderminster station earlier to welcome one of the heritage railway’s favourite steam trains – locomotive 75069 – as it pulled into the platform with a special Railway 200 headboard. The famous loco was one of nearly 200 which took part in this year’s New Year’s Day ‘whistle-up’ to officially signal the start of Railway 200. 

Gus Dunster, managing director of Severn Valley Railway, said: “It's such a privilege that the Severn Valley Railway has been chosen as the very first port of call for 'Inspiration', giving thousands of people the chance to immerse themselves in the past, present and future of rail.  

“The icing on the cake is that its 10-day visit coincides with the SVR's own Railway 200 weekend event on 5 and 6 July. We'll be celebrating trains through the ages, with special guests 60163 'Tornado' and HydroFLEX, the UK's first hydrogen-ready passenger train.” 

Tony Baxter, operations director at Chiltern Railways, said: “We are delighted that Birmingham Moor Street will be the second location to host the Railway 200 exhibition train this summer.  

“Birmingham Moor Street is a special station in the heart of the West Midlands and with tickets available now, it is fitting that this celebratory train will be showcased at one of the most renowned stations on the Chiltern network.” 

The four carriages consist of a ‘Railway Firsts’ coach, highlighting landmark moments in the development of the railway; a ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’ coach which invites visitors to test their engineering skills with a range of interactive exhibits; a carriage called ‘Your Railway Future’ showcasing some of the more hidden roles in rail and encouraging people to consider a career in rail to shape the next 200 years; and a ‘Partner Zone’ which will change as the train tours Britain and calls at its different locations. 

The carriages are currently being fitted out, supported by a £250k grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.   

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, a cross-sector, government-backed bicentenary campaign, said: “This special exhibition train is set to become a new, national visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable experience for hundreds of thousands of people across Britain, including many schoolchildren.  It will excite, enlighten, entertain and inspire them to take a fresh look at the railway, as part of its anniversary celebrations.”

No passengers will be carried on the train as it travels to its exhibition sites.  Booked visits will take place between 10am and 5pm, with the on-train experience expected to last up to an hour.  A virtual tour of the exhibition experience is planned for those who are unable to visit in person. 

To book tickets and find out more about Inspiration and locations it will be stopping at visit www.railway200.co.uk/inspiration  

For more on Railway 200 and how to get involved visit www.railway200.co.uk