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Friday 27 Jun 2025

First stop Kidderminster as Railway 200 train arrives in the West Midlands

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

The special Railway 200 'Inspiration' train has arrived in the West Midlands, making its first stop ahead of a year-long tour of Britain.

Severn Valley Railway (SVR) in Kidderminster welcomed the one-off train when it pulled into platform 2 at Kidderminster Town station.

Teams and volunteers from SVR, along with guests from Network Rail's Central route, West Midlands Rail Executive and train operators including Avanti, CrossCountry and West Midlands Railway, were some of the first to step on board the unique train which celebrates 200 years of the modern railway.

The train will be open to visitors at SVR until 6 July 2025, before heading 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.

To celebrate the arrival of Inspiration, teams from Network Rail’s Central route, Severn Valley Railway and partners gathered this morning to greet the Railway 200 train as it pulled into the platform alongside locomotive GWR 1450, one of the heritage railway’s favourite steam locomotives.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said: “We’re so excited that the Inspiration train has arrived here in Kidderminster at the Severn Valley Railway and that it's next stop will Birmingham Moor Street. The West Midlands are at the Heart of Britain’s Railway, making it the perfect location for the first two stops of the Railway 200 national tour.

“This unique train will offer visitors an experience that showcases the railway’s vital role in Britain’s past, present, and future and I hope it inspires thousands of visitors from across the region who will be among the first in Britain to experience it."

Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster, managing director of Severn Valley Railway, said: ”We are thrilled that the Severn Valley Railway is the first venue to host Inspiration and we know that our visitors over the next 10 days are going to love it! It’s a fascinating look into everything related to the railway, with exciting, interactive exhibits that are really going to spark the imagination. The best thing of all is that it’s free for everyone to visit!”

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.

Tony Baxter, operations director at Chiltern Railways, said: “It is fitting that Birmingham Moor Street, one of the most renowned stations on the Chiltern network, will be the second stop to host the Inspiration train for three days from Tuesday 08 July.

“This stop is unique as we have partnered with Midlands Connect, West Midlands Rail Executive and community partners to commission displays to tell the story of the future of rail in the West Midlands.”

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: “This special exhibition train is a new, free national visitor attraction, offering 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 lasting up to an hour. A virtual tour of the exhibition experience is planned for those who are unable to visit in person.

Admission to the train is 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.

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