Popular and free Railway 200 attraction tours Britain until June 2026
A unique exhibition inside a train has welcomed its 50,000th visitor – marking a “major milestone” on its year-long tour of Britain.
Inspiration tells the story of railways – a British invention that changed the world – and is calling at 60 locations across Britain from June 2025 to June 2026.
This week, while visiting Southampton on its 28th stop, the 50,000th visitor explored its four carriages, which are packed full of interactive exhibits and amazing stories.
Inspiration is co-curated with the National Railway Museum and is part of Railway 200, a national year-long celebration marking 200 years of the modern railway.
The family-friendly exhibition train has already journeyed more than 6,000 miles, visiting as far north as the Cairngorms and as far south as Southampton, where it was welcomed with sea shanties and a beautiful mural commemorating the visit (see photos below).
Its most easterly stop has been Lowestoft and its most westerly stop Llandudno in North Wales.
Inspiration in numbers
28 stops across the UK
117 days open to the public
6,086 miles travelled
51,402 visitors so far
22,660 litres of recycled vegetable oil fuelling the train
Other highlights include being displayed in Derby at the biggest ever rail festival and Shildon, the birthplace of the modern railway.
Remarkably, the free-to-visit exhibition has been fuelled with 22,660 litres of HVO, a sustainable alternative to diesel made from used vegetable oil.
The first destinations on Inspiration’s 2026 tour have just been announced, including Preston, Cambridge, Salisbury and more. Even more 2026 dates will be released soon.
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said: “We are hugely proud to reach a major milestone for this travelling attraction: 50,000 happy visitors!
“We are truly thankful to everyone who’s visited so far, and we cannot wait to welcome even more people in 2026, including thousands more schoolchildren.
“It’s remarkable to think that railways, an invention dreamt up by brilliant British engineers 200 years ago, continue to connect communities across the UK and the world today.”
Nine in ten visitors say they would recommend Inspiration to a friend. They’ve described it as “fascinating”, “brilliant” and “interactive”.
Thousands more schoolchildren will visit Inspiration in 2026. Teachers can book free, bespoke trips with their class by emailing railway200@networkrail.co.uk.
Photos and videos
Please find general photos and videos of Inspiration here (credits in filename). Please find photos of Inspiration in Southampton here (credits: South Western Railway).