Friday 13 Jun 2025
INVITATION: Launch of Railway 200’s unique exhibition train, 26 June, Paddington
As part of the bicentenary of the modern railway, you are warmly invited to attend the industry launch of Railway 200’s unique exhibition train, Inspiration, at Paddington station, before the eye-catching train opens to the public at Severn Valley Railway the following day.
Time & Date: Arrive no later than 12:30 for a 13:00 start on Thursday, 26 June. Event will conclude by 15:00.
Location: Platform 1, Paddington station.
The event: More than 100 industry representatives, including Rail Minister, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, and Sir Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, will join with schoolchildren, a performance poet and musicians to launch the touring exhibition train as part of Railway 200, a celebration the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
The event will include an opening ceremony, brief speeches and an exclusive tour of the train, which opens its doors to visitors for the first time.
The train, which when on tour will be free to enter, will visit 60 destinations across Britain over 12 months, promoting railway innovation and encouraging people to consider a career in the railway. As the UK’s latest visitor experience, the four-carriage train will be packed with information and interactive, hands-on displays, curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum.
Available for interview will be: the Rail Minister (up to 14.00) and Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200.
A short online induction will be required to be completed ahead arrival.
For more on the Railway 200 train: https://railway200.co.uk/2025-tour-announced-for-railway-200s-unique-exhibition-train/
Railway 200 is a cross-sector, partner-led campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, exploring the past, present and future of rail and how it influences our lives and livelihoods.
RSVP by 24 June to alan.hyde@raildeliverygroup.com
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Railway 200
railway200@gbrtt.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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