Unique exhibition train starts year-long tour of Britain as part of rail bicentenary 26 June, 202527 June, 2025 New family-friendly visitor attraction opens, marking 200 years of the modern railway.
External linkTrain networking event inspires next generation of women in rail 24 June, 2025 To mark Railway 200 and Women in Engineering Day, 12 students from Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets boarded a train to Dover for a special trip through Kent.
External linkNorthern throws open the doors to Heaton TrainCare Centre to celebrate 150 year anniversary 23 June, 202523 June, 2025 Thousands of visitors are expected to join the operator for a rare chance to look behind the scenes at one of Britain's longest-serving rail depots.
External linkWorld’s most famous steam locomotive to appear at Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering – with more tickets on sale from Friday 27 June 23 June, 2025 Record-breaking steam engine to join others from the UK National Collection at Alstom’s three-day festival for Railway 200 in Derby.
External linkThomas the Tank Engine documentary to receive UK premiere at Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering 19 June, 2025 Screening at Alstom’s Derby factory will mark the 80th anniversary of the famous talking tank engine franchise and the 200th anniversary of the modern railway
Growing worldwide interest 18 June, 202520 June, 2025 Railway 200 is attracting increasing interest from around the world. It's featured in an English language magazine distributed in Spain and Italy, and the article was written by an Irish journalist based in Los Angeles!
2025 tour announced for Railway 200’s unique exhibition train 11 June, 202523 June, 2025 The schedule for the train, named Inspiration, now covers 27 locations across England, Scotland and Wales to the end of the bicentenary year.
‘Train Landscape’ by Eric Ravilious wins global vote to find the public’s favourite UK railway artwork 9 June, 202510 June, 2025 Watercolour painted in 1940 comes top in poll marking 200 years of the modern railway.
Railway 200 wins top tourism prize at VisitEngland Excellence Awards 5 June, 20255 June, 2025 Railway 200, a campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, won the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award at last night’s VisitEngland Excellence Awards 2025, held in Brighton.
External linkStep Behind the Scenes: Southeastern’s Exclusive Railway 200 Depot Open Day 5 June, 202524 June, 2025 To celebrate 200 years of the passenger railway in the UK; Southeastern is opening the doors to their train maintenance depot in Ashford for one very special day.
External linkCelebrating 200 years of railways through one family’s story 3 June, 20254 June, 2025 To coincide with the 200th anniversary of public railways in 2025, author and railwayman Paul Stanford presents From Chocolate to Cider, a captivating new book documenting 186 years of railway service through five generations of the Stanford family.
External linkRoyal Artillery honoured in rail’s bicentenary 2 June, 20253 June, 2025 This year marks 200 years of the modern-day railway and there has always been a strong relationship between the railway and the military. To mark the 80th anniversary in Haslemere, Network Rail and South Western Railway held a service and unveiled a plaque to honour the 626 people who lost their lives during the war.
External linkWorld’s first steam locomotive to run on a public railway will appear at The Greatest Gathering 22 May, 2025 Pioneering locomotive to join others from the UK National Collection at Alstom’s three-day festival for Railway 200
External linkHS2 donates 4,000 tonnes of ballast to Bluebell Railway as part of landmark Railway 200 celebrations 21 May, 2025 Some 4,000 tonnes of ballast – enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool - was used by HS2 in specially constructed sidings while tunnelling work was carried out at West Ruislip.
External linkGreat Northern route to City of London transformed into UK’s first signals-free commuter railway 19 May, 202521 May, 2025 Great Northern 'Northern City Line' to the City of London becomes the UK network's first-ever commuter railway to operate without signals at the side of the track, heralding a major milestone in the national deployment of cutting-edge digital technology.
External linkSix artists will create nine new artworks marking the 200th anniversary of the opening of the S&DR 15 May, 202515 May, 2025 The S&DR200 festival has announced six artists who will create nine new artworks marking the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR). The project is jointly funded by Historic England and Railway Heritage Trust, marking 200 years of the railways with new artworks at key historic locations.
External linkHitachi Newton Aycliffe factory to open its doors for Railway 200 Celebrations 12 May, 202512 May, 2025 Factory tours, Locomotion No.1 and Railway 200 Exhibition Train will form part of the event on Saturday 4th October 2025.
In rail’s bicentenary, connect to the world outside your window with the Window Seater audio storytelling app 29 April, 202529 April, 2025 The Window Seater app delivers an immersive in-train experience, with place-based stories that cover a range of subjects from history and geography to art, culture and community – including many connected to this year’s 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
Bookings open for Inspiration, Railway 200’s unique exhibition train 24 April, 202525 April, 2025 Bookings have opened for visits to a unique exhibition train, part of a national celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway called Railway 200.
External linkThe Watercress Line’s stunning ‘200 Community Textile Timeline of Train Travel’ embarks on tour across Hampshire 15 April, 202524 April, 2025 As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, The Watercress Line has collaborated with more than 100 talented individuals, including local artists, schools, and community groups to create the textile timeline which depicts the history of rail travel.
