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Wednesday 28 Jan 2026

New tour dates announced for ‘brilliant’ exhibition train

• Travelling exhibition inside train is packed with interactive exhibits & amazing stories 

• 60,000 have visited, calling it “brilliant” and “fascinating” 

• It's now calling at six new stations on south coast and South West of England 

• Tickets are free but availability is limited. Book here 

An exhibition inside a train that’s packed with amazing stories and interactive fun has added six new dates to its tour. 

More than 60,000 have visited the Railway 200 exhibition train on its 60-stop, year-long tour of Britain, and 9 in 10 visitors would recommend it to a friend. 

Co-curated with the National Railway Museum and called Inspiration, it uses rare artefacts and fascinating facts to explore how railways transformed the world. It includes hands-on engineering challenges and a whistle-stop tour of interesting – and lesser-known – careers on the railway. 

New stops on its tour were announced today, and it will call at (all dates inclusive): 

• Bognor Regis station – 2 March to 3 March 

• Lewes station – 5 March to 6 March 

• Totnes station (South Devon Railway) – 17 March to 22 March 

• Bristol Temple Meads station – 23 March to 29 March 

• Minehead station (West Somerset Railway) – 30 March to 4 April 
• Newquay station – 6 April to 11 April 

Tickets to Inspiration are free and local schools will be invited for free, bespoke tours. Normal entry fees to some private railways may apply.

Inspiration has been described as “unique”, “extremely interesting” and “really well curated”. 

Tara Jones Ulla was among the 2,000 people who visited at West Somerset Railway in November. She described it as “brilliant”, adding: “It was so informative without being overwhelming, with lots of interactive and hands‑on exhibits. I came away so happy!” 

Michael Wilson, who visited at Inspiration’s London Paddington stop, said: “The whole thing was well thought out. The interactive exhibits were brilliant and my children loved it.” 

Inspiration is part of Railway 200, the national celebration marking two centuries of the modern railway. Thousands of events in 2025 celebrated a British innovation that revolutionised travel, supercharged economies and enabled mass tourism, sports leagues and the standardisation of time. 

Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said: “Railways are one of history’s most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment. 

“Inspiration has already travelled thousands of miles across Britain – from Scotland to Southampton – and we are hugely excited to welcome even more people aboard in these six fantastic destinations.” 

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “I’m proud to be celebrating our heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway; to this day our railway network is the backbone of our economy, driving economic growth, jobs and homes. 

“With this train, we’re not just looking to the past, we are inspiring the diverse next generation of engineers, drivers, conductors and technicians, and shining a light on what the railway is delivering today.” 

Inspiration tours until June 2026 and new dates are announced regularly. Upcoming dates: 

Destination	Dates	Host
Upminster	26 Jan – 30 Jan	c2c Rail
Cambridge	31 Jan – 1 Feb	Greater Anglia
Colchester	3 Feb – 4 Feb	Greater Anglia
Clacton	5 Feb – 6 Feb	Greater Anglia
Hertford	7 Feb – 8 Feb	Greater Anglia
Swanage	16 Feb – 18 Feb	Swanage Railway
Hampshire	19 Feb – 20 Feb	The Watercress Line
Salisbury	21 Feb - 23 Feb	South Western Railway
Kingston	25 Feb – 26 Feb	South Western Railway
Worthing	27 Feb – 28 Feb	Southern
Bognor Regis	2 – 3 March	Southern
Lewes	5 – 6 March	Southern
Epsom	9 Mar – 11 Mar	Southern
Hastings	12 Mar – 15 Mar	Southeastern
Totnes	17 – 22 March	South Devon Railway
Bristol	23 – 29 March	Network Rail
Minehead	30 March – 3 April	West Somerset Railway
Newquay	6 – 11 April	Great Western Railway

 

Inspiration was supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Porterbrook funded its eye-catching livery.