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Thursday 26 Jun 2025

Unique exhibition train starts year-long tour of Britain as part of rail bicentenary

• New family-friendly visitor attraction opens, marking 200 years of the modern railway
• Interactive, hands-on displays promote rail innovation and careers
• 200,000 visitors expected

Britain’s newest visitor attraction launched today (26 June), ahead of opening to the public tomorrow at the Severn Valley Railway in Worcestershire as part of national celebrations to mark 200 years of the modern railway.

The unique, free-to-enter and family-friendly Railway 200 exhibition train, called Inspiration, will visit 60 locations across Britain over the next year to promote railway innovation and careers, celebrating a British invention that changed the world.

More than 160 people, including Rail Minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, Lady Victoria Borwick, chairman of VisitEngland, and students from Paddington Academy, joined a rail industry event today at London Paddington station to signal the start of the train’s 12-month tour of Britain.

Inspiration - the only exhibition train on the UK rail network - is part of Railway 200, the cross-sector campaign to mark this year’s rail bicentenary. The exhibition was designed and created in partnership with Network Rail and the National Railway Museum in York, part of the Science Museum Group.

Sporting an eye-catching livery and emblazoned with the words Past, Present, Future and Together, the train will visit mainline stations, heritage railways, museums, private and freight sites. More than 200,000 people, including many schoolchildren, are expected to visit by prior booking. Admission to the train will be free, but normal entry charges to heritage railways and private sites where it is located will apply.

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 and what it can do in future, alongside bringing services back into public ownership, laying the foundations for Great British Railways, and building a railway we can all be proud of.”

VisitEngland Chairman Lady Victoria Borwick said:

“It’s fantastic that this exhibition will be travelling the length and breadth of Britain bringing a new, exciting and interactive attraction steeped in history and culture to local communities, inspiring future generations with hands-on learning experiences and providing a brilliant day out for all the family.

"As we celebrate Railway 200 and the launch of this wonderful exhibition, it is also timely to shine the spotlight on the importance of our railways to our tourism offer, past, present and future! For 200 years rail travel has been broadening travel itineraries. The ease and convenience of rail travel to access our beautiful countryside, coastal gems and vibrant cities, and in an environmentally friendly way, continues to inspire both domestic and international visitors to discover more and stay longer, boosting the visitor economy.”

Inspiration comprises four distinctive carriages, powered by a locomotive. Rail’s pioneering pedigree is explored in a ‘Railway Firsts’ coach, highlighting landmark moments in rail’s development. Alongside is ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’, inviting visitors to test their engineering skills with hands-on exhibits. Next is the ‘Your Railway Future’ carriage, showcasing some of the more hidden roles in rail and encouraging people to join the railway to shape the next 200 years. The final coach is a ‘Partner Zone’, offering free, flexible exhibition space.

The train is supported by a £250k grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and generous funding from Porterbrook. 

The train will visit the North East of England in September - rail’s 200th anniversary month - as part of S&DR200, a nine-month international festival inspired by the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) in 1825, a journey that changed the world forever.

This year’s tour:

Date	Destination
27 June – 6 July	Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster, Worcestershire
8 - 10 July	Birmingham Moor Street station
12 - 15 July	London Euston station
18 - 19 July	London Waterloo station
20 – 21 July	Margate station, Kent
23 – 29 July	Bluebell Railway, Sussex
1 – 3 August	Alstom’s Litchurch Lane site, Derby (for The Greatest Gathering)
7 – 10 August	Norwich station, Norfolk
11 – 14 August	Lowestoft station, Suffolk
16 – 17 August	Freightliner Doncaster Railport, South Yorkshire
23 – 31 August	National Railway Museum, York (as part of the NRM’s 50th birthday)
10 – 17 September	Darlington station, County Durham (as part of S&DR200)
20 September – 1 October	Locomotion museum, Shildon, County Durham (as part of S&DR200)
4 October	Newton Aycliffe, Hitachi Depot, County Durham (for the Hitachi Rail Open Day)
5 – 7 October	North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Grosmont
11 – 12 October	Glasgow Central station
13 – 14 October	Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway
16 – 17 October	Strathspey Railway
19 – 20 October	Aberdeen station
22 – 23 October	Edinburgh Waverley station
25 October – 2 November	Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, West Yorkshire (as part of Bradford UK City of Culture)
4 – 7 November	Blackpool North station, Lancashire
24 – 29 November	West Somerset Railway, Bishops Lydeard
8 – 13 December	London Paddington station
14 – 16 December	Southampton Central station
18 – 20 December	London Victoria station

Llandudno in North Wales will be added in November, once dates are confirmed, and more destinations are being explored for Wales next year.  The 2026 tour of Britain will be announced later this year.

No passengers will be carried on the train as it travels to its exhibition sites.  Booked visits will begin at 10am and last entry will be at 4pm. The train will close at 5pm. Visits are expected to last up to an hour.  A virtual tour of the exhibition experience is available for those who are unable to visit in person.

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.”

Craig Bentley, Director of the National Railway Museum added:

“The National Railway Museum is proud to deliver this extraordinary exhibition on a train with Railway 200, underpinned by some of the stories and exhibits in our award-winning Wonderlab interactive gallery. We’re thrilled that Inspiration will tour the country to bring these experiences to more people, especially in our 50th year. Railways have shaped our world in so many ways, from what we eat to where we go on holiday, and to inspire people with that epic narrative and give them a chance to get involved in this celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said: 

“We’re proud to support Inspiration – a unique exhibition train that brings rail’s story to life for communities across the country.  As we mark 200 years of the modern railway, this is a chance to celebrate rail’s rich past while showcasing the innovation and opportunities shaping its future.

“The railway has always been about connecting people and places.  With Inspiration, we’re also connecting the next generation to the possibilities of a career in rail.”

To book and find out more about Inspiration visit www.railway200.co.uk/inspiration 

There have already been more than a thousand Railway 200 activities and events across the UK, many of which have been registered on an interactive map on the Railway 200 website – and many more are planned. Highlights so far include: 200 locomotives blowing horns and whistles across five continents on New Year’s Day; a commemorative rail coin from the Royal Mint; a successful anniversary rail sale, offering more than two million discounted train tickets for great days out; train namings, painting competitions, talks and presentations; a Railway 200 merchandise range; heritage and community rail events; a global poll to choose the nation’s best-loved UK railway artwork; the launch of the Great Rail Tales podcast; displays at the Japan Expo; and a flashmob of college students.

Coming down the track includes:

• The NRM’s 50th birthday celebrations
• The Greatest Gathering in Derby, hosted by Alstom
• The continuing Railway 200 @ Bluebell Railway festival

In an unprecedented decision for an ongoing campaign, Railway 200 was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award by VisitEngland earlier this month, “in recognition of its valuable role in highlighting the importance of railway heritage and rail travel to domestic and inbound tourism in England.”

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